A Lifetime of Choices
by Alice Lupin
Summary: Draco Malfoy is getting married to a woman he has no interest in. When he finds something that is worth living for can he give up his inheritance for happiness? Sequel to 'Precious Choices'. Written in Draco's POV.
1. Rose Marie Granger

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 1 – Rose Marie Granger**

"Mother," I said one morning at breakfast. "May I see that?" I gestured to the _Daily Prophet _in her hand. She nodded and handed it to me then pulled her long blonde hair into a messy bun. The headline screamed out at me.

_**Hermione Granger's Daughter**_

I quickly skimmed through the article and my heart stopped for a second. Hermione had given birth on February 15th, a week ago, to a little girl, 3.13Kg and 48.26cm. The picture showed her, tired and glowing, holding a baby. Her friends Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley stood around her.

'_Could it… No. She would have told me.'_ I thought. For almost a year, I had been replaying our meeting in my head over and over. I tossed the paper aside, deciding it was a ridiculous thought. The child couldn't be mine. She simply couldn't. I was due to marry Astoria Greengrass in 4 months time. On the 5th of June, to be exact, my 19th birthday. Happy fucking birthday to me. I ran a hand through my platinum blonde hair at the thought. Did I want to marry her? Hell, no. Was I going to? Unfortunately, yes. It was basically required. If I didn't enter into a marriage that my parents approve of, I'd lose my inheritance, along with Malfoy Manor and our summer home in Italy.

It didn't matter that Astoria annoyed me to no end. It didn't matter that my heart was in Godric's Hollow living with Potter and Weasley. There was no way I could go off and marry Hermione. My parents would be furious.

I sifted through my thoughts as I got ready for the day. Father wanted me to meet some of his business partners at the Ministry in hopes that I could earn a job there. Once again, it didn't matter that I didn't want to work there. Malfoy's work at the Ministry. We always have. So instead of being an Auror, like I want, I'll be stuck inside an office all day. Just like my father.

Like father, like son, they always say. The one big flaw in that? I don't want to be anything like my father. He is a cruel sadistic bastard and I hate him. None-the-less, until the prick dies he'll dictate my life, who I marry, where I work, how many kids I have, where I live, the list goes on. I could only hope, that he keels over soon. The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Until then, however, I'm Draco Adrian Malfoy, heir to the family fortune and my father's bitch, more or less. I'm 18 bloody years old, soon to be 19, and when my father says 'Jump', I'm still required to ask 'How high?'. Sure, I've thought about simply taking off and never coming back. But that's sort-of impossible when the only money you own is stored away in the family vault and your father has the only key.

I forgot they're names as soon as I was introduced to them. The second I was left alone, I headed to the bar and order 5 shots of muggle Vodka, my father had always been fond of it. I downed them, one after another, and felt mildly ready to face the evening. I was expected to mingle with the guests in the dining hall before dinner and, like a good son, I sucked down my last shot and did just that.

I didn't really listen to a word anyone was saying. But it didn't matter. All of the people present were more interested in showing off to the other guests. There was always a lot of one-upping at these events, another thing that I wasn't interested in.

Suddenly, I heard Hermione's name and froze. I looked around for the voice and frowned when I saw Potter and Weasley sitting at the bar. Trying to look like I wanted a drink, I headed over to them. Ever since the final war, just after graduation, I had gained a certain amount of respect for the Golden Trio. They had saved the wizarding world, after all.

"… worried about Hermione." I heard Weasley saying. He ran a frustrated hand through his curly red hair.

"I know, mate. But there isn't much we can do." Potter told him as I reached the bar. I ordered a scotch and studied them out of the corner of my eye. They looked the same as ever. Potter with his same black hair and green eyes, covered by large round glasses, that, in my opinion, kind of made him look like an owl. Weasley still had the trade mark flaming red Weasley hair, dark blue eyes and too many freckles. The only difference to them was that they seemed more muscular. I say that in a strictly non-gay-checking-out kind of way. Being a father of sorts seemed to have mellowed Potter out quite a bit. Remus Lupin had died in the war, along with my cousin Tonks, and had left behind a child, Teddy. Potter had gained custody of him after the war. The bartender handed me my scotch and I took a sip.

"What's up with Granger?" I asked them, trying to seem like I didn't care. The both glanced at me, seeming uncomfortable. I briefly wondered why and then pushed the thought away once more. She wasn't mine.

"None of your business, Malfoy." Weasley snared. I put my hands up in defeat.

"Hey, I was only asking, Weasley." I told him.

'_5…4…3…_' Potter sighed.

"She depressed." He said grudgingly. '_Wow, early this time._' I thought, hiding a smirk. I turned my icy blue eyes on them.

"Why is she depressed? Didn't she just have a baby? She should be happy." I said.

"The Healers say it's just a bout of post-partum depression. But we're not so sure." Potter said. "She hates staying home all day while we go to work. And by the time we get home, she's exhausted."

"Why doesn't she find a job?" I quirked an eyebrow at them.

"She's trying. But the Ministry won't let her work until Rose is at least a month old. And even after that, if she wants to be an Auror she has to get back in shape. She didn't gain much while pregnant but she gained enough to make a difference to them." Potter explained.

"So, while you guys are at work why doesn't she work out? Start losing that weight? It would give her something to do and help her get to work sooner." I suggested. They glanced at each other.

"It's not that easy Malfoy." Said Potter, exasperated. "She has a baby to take care of now. She's tired all the time. She doesn't have time to work out."

"Have someone watch the baby? I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would love to. She seems to like kids." I didn't say it in a snarky way, just stating the obvious.

I heard my father call my name and excused myself from my former classmates.

"Yes father?" I said, reaching him.

"You need to be with your fiancé." He said bluntly. I glanced across the room and saw Astoria chatting animatedly with some of her friends, no doubt explaining the grand wedding designs that Mother had showed her. I nodded once and headed over to her. Taking a deep breath, I wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to be the ever loving fiancé everyone expected.

The weeks kept passing in a blur, one day blending with the other. I was stuck at business and social events, trying to be the perfect son, future-business-man, and doting fiancé. Needless to say, it was stressful and I desperately needed a break. My break came in the form of sneaking out of my own house 2 weeks before the wedding. The thought made me angry. Mother and Astoria were once again going over wedding plans and father was busy with a business associate. I dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt as I slipped out the front door, feeling like an escaped convict.

Once outside the wards, I apparated to the middle of muggle London. I wouldn't run into press here or any of father's business friends or, thank Merlin, any of Astoria's snotty friends. But I did see a familiar head of curly brown hair disappear into a baby store. I sucked in a breath and headed towards the store.

The walls were painted in soft colors and rows of racks lined the room and cluttered the middle of the room. I glanced around and finally spotted her by the 4-6 months girls section. I headed straight for her.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a big city like this?" I asked, placing my face right next to her ear. She whipped around and looked surprised to see me.

"Draco?" She asked, quietly.

"Hello, Hermione." I said smiling for the first time in weeks.

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed a break from all the stress at the Manor." I explained, shrugging. She continued shopping and we talked about our lives recently.

"So, how's your daughter? Where is she?" I asked finally. She tripped and I caught her easily by the arm.

"She's umm… At a daycare down the road. I needed to get some shopping done. And she's good" She said quietly. I nodded.

When she was done buying baby clothes we left the store and walked down the street. She seemed nervous as we entered a brightly lit room decorated in bright, energetic colors.

"Hello Ms. Granger!" came a woman's voice. I turned to see a woman about mid- to late-thirties with flat, shoulder length, brown hair and big blue eyes.

"Hi Clarice. I'm here to pick up Rose." The woman nodded and went into a room off to the side, coming back with a purple bundle.

"Here she is. She slept most of the time. I've already changed her nappie as well." She handed the bundle to Hermione.

"Hi sweetie." She cooed at the bundle. I stepped up behind her and my heart stopped. Nestled in the purple blanket was a baby. A baby with curly, platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes. A baby that looked just like me. I swiftly went to the door and waited for her to finish talking to Clarice. We definitely needed to talk.

She finally thanked the woman and walked towards the door. I held it open for her.

"Come on." I said immediately.

"What?"

"We need to talk. Follow me." I led her down the street to a small park that was deserted this time of day due to school. We were both silent and my head was spinning.

'_She's mine. Why the bloody hell didn't Hermione tell me? Did she think that just because I'm getting married would mean that I wouldn't care?_'I was quickly getting angry. We reached the park and she set the baby down on the ground by a picnic table and spread out the blanket. It was a nice day, the temperature was warm enough that I was starting to sweat. She sat down at the table quietly and I sat next to her.

"What do you want to talk about?" She finally asked. I had to resist the urge to start screaming.

"Your daughter." I said. I turned to look at her and noticed she was a little pink. I wanted her to tell me that Rose wasn't mine. I wanted her blatantly deny it. "Who's her father?" I asked, trying to stay calm. She didn't deny it.

"I'm almost positive that you know who her father is. Platinum blond hair and grey eyes? I only know one person that looks like that." She sighed. I squeezed my eyes shut, clenched my fists together and tightened my jaw.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I finally growled out.

"Because I knew you were getting married and you already didn't want to. If you knew I was pregnant it would have made it harder for you."

"So instead you kept her from me?" I blew up. I didn't care if anyone else heard. I yelled. "I've had a daughter for 4 fucking months with the woman that I love more than anything, and no one felt the need to tell me?" She flinched.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "It seemed like the best idea at the time." I glanced over and my heart broke when I saw tears streaming down her face. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair agitatedly before sitting down next to her. I placed my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. As I gazed down at the baby, I felt myself calming down. She was dressed in a white shirt and purple sweatpants with little white shoes. She was adorable.

Suddenly, I saw a life flash before my eyes, a life that could be mine. I could ditch Astoria and my parents, along with the money and property, and get a job at the Ministry as an Auror. Hermione and I could live together and raise Rose, have more kids even. I glanced over at Hermione, who was still crying. I put an arm around her and pulled her into my lap. Her head came to rest on my chest and she seemed to fit perfectly in my arms. Had I meant what I said? Did I really love her more than anything? I wasn't sure. But one thing I did know is that seeing her cry broke my heart.

I wanted that life more than I had ever wanted anything. I wanted to marry Hermione, not Astoria. I wanted to live in a small house in the country, not at the Manor. I wanted to be an Auror, not a Ministry lackie. But most of all? I wanted to make lots of brothers and sisters for Rosie. I often teased the Weasleys about having 7 kids but, if I was being honest with myself, I knew it was just because my life as an only child sucked. I had wanted brothers and sisters, at least one sibling. I had even asked mother for a little sister for Christmas when I was 5.

"Would you like to come to Godric's Hollow with me?" Hermione asked quietly. I nodded and grabbed her shopping bags. She gathered up Rose and then apparated us to Godric's Hollow. We arrived in front of a white house with Gryffindor red shutters and accents. The porch looked like it wrapped all the way around. There was a large willow tree in the front yard with a swing hanging from a branch. The yard was large and green with flowers lining the porch. It was a pretty nice house. It was 2 stories with an attic. She pushed open the gate that fenced in the yard and walked up the stone path to the front door. I followed quietly.

The inside of the house was just as nice as the outside. The front door opened into a hallway that had photographs, muggle and wizard, down both walls. The first door on the left led to a small living room. It was cozy with a fireplace, a large couch, and tons of book shelves. The room was decorated in whites and browns. The next door on the left looked like a bathroom. The only door on the right led to a kitchen and dining room decorated in shades of blue. At the end of the hallway was a closed door and towards the middle was a staircase. I followed her up the staircase and came up in another hallway with 3 doors to the left right and directly in front of us. This hallway was lined with photos as well. I glanced around and guessed that the room on the right was Weasley's due to the fact that it looked a mess. I saw a few pictures of the trio in Hogwarts and a few of a baby with strange colored hair. I could only assume this was Teddy, having inherited his mothers Metamorphmagus genes. She opened the door in front of us and we went in.

There was a queen sized bed in the corner with a crib at the head of the bed. A dresser stood against the wall to the right, next to what looked like a walk in closet. I set her bags down on the bed.

"Mind if I use the loo?" I asked.

"It's through there." She pointed to the closet. Confused, I glanced inside to see another door on the back of the closet. I pushed it open to reveal a good sized loo. I relieved myself and washed my hands then went back to the room. Hermione was busy putting things away. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to where Rose was laying. Once again, I studied her, still surprised to see my own features on such a tiny, adorable person. "Would you like to hold her?" Hermione asked. I glanced up to see her leaning against the dresser gazing at us with a slight smile on her face. I nodded, unable to speak.

She came over and picked Rose up carefully then laid her on my shoulder.

"Put your arm under her bottom to hold her up." She told me. I did so. Instinctively, I started patting her back as Hermione turned to finish putting things away. "Don't pat her back too hard…" She said. It was too late for that however. Rose let out a burp and I felt warm liquid splatter on my shoulder.

"Urgh!" I said. Hermione laughed and took Rose from me, handing me a washcloth. I took it and tried to wipe the spit up from my shirt. I gave up and pulled the shirt over my head, careful not to get spit up in my hair. "That was disgusting!" I exclaimed. Hermione laughed.

"Here, give me your shirt. I'll clean it." She laid Rose back on the bed and took my shirt. Our hands brushed as she reached for it and we both froze. Her eyes traveled up my abdomen and chest to rest on my lips. It felt like it had been a lifetime since we had last kissed. Without stopping to think about what I was doing, I dropped my shirt and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards me. Her brown eyes locked with my grey ones. My hand raised of its own accord and hovered near her cheek. She hesitated for a second before leaning into my hand. The instant my hand touched her cheek, I pulled her up against me and pressed my lips to hers.

Fire exploded between us. A year of built up feelings rushed out all at once. I felt like I was drowning and Hermione was my anchor to land. The kiss was fast and passionate.

"What the hell?" We jumped apart at the voice and turned towards the door.


	2. Plans

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 2 – Plans**

Potter stood in the doorway looking shocked, holding a child in his arms. I silently cursed him for showing up.

"Ummm… Hi Harry." Hermione said lamely.

"Again I say, what the hell?" He entered the room and came to stand in front of me. "I'm not going to put up with you jerking Hermione around. You're going to be married in two weeks. I don't want Hermione getting her hopes up." I ignored him and turned to pick up Rose again, knowing it would shut him up. I turned back around and he said nothing.

Smirking, I began, "Potter, I'm not trying to hurt Hermione. I care a great deal about her and Rose, whether you believe it or not. And as for getting married, I can't stand Astoria. She's annoying and snotty and a complete and total bitch. If it weren't for the fact that I'll lose my inheritance if I don't marry someone my parents approve of, I would probably already be married to Hermione. So shut the bloody hell up!" I pushed past him, careful not to run into Teddy and went outside to sit on the swing on the Willow, ignoring the fact that I was shirtless.

"Harry's just worried about me, don't take it personally." Hermione said coming out of the house with my shirt, now clean, in her hand.

"Oh, I do take it personally." I gave her a pointed look. "He hates me. Always has, always will. Probably more so now than when we were in school." Hermione shook her head but said nothing.

"If you hate Astoria so much then why are you marrying her?" She asked after a few moments of silence. I shrugged.

"If I want my inheritance I have to." She frowned.

"But you just want it. You don't really need it." She said.

"What would I do if I didn't have it?" I looked around noticing that it was getting dark.

"You could get a job. Make your own fortune." She suggested. I sighed and stood up from the swing.

"I have to get back to the Manor." I told her. I gave Rose a kiss on the forehead and handed her to Hermione.

"Draco, just think about it, ok?" She said. "Rose needs a daddy that's going to be there. I know you hate Astoria. I also know that you care about us. Wouldn't it be worth giving up your money to be happy? To make me and Rose happy? We could be a family." She sighed. "Just think about it." I nodded and pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her and Rose. Standing there in the yard with them, it was easy to picture what my life would be like with them. Happy. I tilted Hermione's face up and pressed my lips to hers before walking out of the yard and down the street.

I apparated to the Manor and slipped back inside. I headed straight to my study, the only place Astoria couldn't find me. I sat there for hours, turning the issue over in my head. On one hand, I could stay here, marry Astoria and have a child with her, keep my fortune and be miserable. On the other, I could leave behind everything I'd ever known, along with my fortune and land, and go be with Hermione and Rose, have more children, and be immensely happy. I sighed and glanced out the window. It was morning already and I had been sitting there all night.

I needed help. So I headed towards the one person that would always help me out and not consider her own feelings on the issue. My mother.

"… And I have no clue what to do." I finished in a rush. My mother looked thoughtful, twirling a stand of her blonde hair around her finger. He hair wasn't quite as blonde as mine but it was still blonde. Her eyes were dark blue. To the outside world Narcissa Malfoy was a cold wife and mother. But to me, she had been a great mother. At least, while my father wasn't around. If he knew half of what she had done for me he would probably divorce her.

"You failed to mention this other girls name, Draco. Why?" She said. I shifted uncomfortably.

"She umm… She isn't anyone father would approve of."

"And? Does that mean you can't tell me?"

"No… I guess not. It's Hermione Granger."

"Hermione Granger? Harry Potter's best friend?" I nodded and my mother sighed. "Draco, answer me this. Do you love her? Do you want to be with her? Does she make you happy?" I considered this for a moment before answering.

"Yes." My mother gave me her are-you-really-that-stupid look.

"If she makes you happy then it shouldn't be a choice you have to make. You simply have to act on it. And I know how we can do it, too." My mother quickly explained her plan and I couldn't help but smile. My mother hated Astoria almost as much as I did.

I apparated to Godric's Hollow the next day to speak to Hermione. She answered when I knocked on the door. She was holding a half dressed Rose and had a tired look on her face. From the looks of her outfit, she was headed to go work out. She was wearing a pair of black jogging pants and a white tanktop.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, letting me in.

"I needed to talk to you."

"Can it wait? I'm headed to the muggle gym in town." I nodded.

"What are you going to do with Rose while you're at the gym?"

"There's a little daycare there."

"No. Absolutely not." I shook my head and lifted Rose out of Hermione's arms.

"What…?"

"My mother wants to meet her anyways. I'll take her to the Manor while you go to the gym."

"I don't want her there!" Hermione yelled.

"No one will be home but mother and I. Nothing will happen to her. She'll be perfectly safe, I promise." Hermione glared at me for a moment.

"If anything, and I mean _anything_, happens to her, I will personally see to it that you can never have children again!" I flinched but nodded. She huffed and went up to her room to finish getting ready. She tossed down a different outfit for Rose, yelling at me to change her outfit. I did so without complaint.

"Mother?" I called, as I stepped into the Manor. She came running into the foyer excitedly.

"Is this Rose Marie?" She cooed at the baby.

"Yes. This is her." I shifted her higher on my hip and headed for the sitting room. I sat down and pulled her blanket out of the nappie bag Hermione had given me and spread it out on the floor. I pulled out a few toys as well and laid her down on the blanket. The toys started floating around and she stared at them in wonder. I glanced up to see mother pointing her wand at them.

"You used to love it when you were little." She explained. We spent the next few hours playing with Rose. We splashed around with her in the pool, I took her for a ride on my horse Becka, and I played with her on the muggle trampoline that my mother bought when I was 10. Hermione came to pick her up much sooner than I would have liked.

"I have a few conditions." I said quickly, holding Rose away from her. She sighed.

"Continue."

"First, I want to be able to spend time with my daughter. Second, we need to talk. And third, you have to give me a kiss before you get her back." I smirked at her.

"Of course you can spend time with her. But I don't want Astoria anywhere near my baby."

"Not a problem. She hates kids." I told her.

"What do we need to talk about?" She asked, sitting down on the couch.

"I want you to come to my wedding." I said quickly. She stared at me and I forged ahead. "It's going to be quite… eventful."

"Eventful, as in?" She asked. I shook my head, refusing to say anymore.

"Just come. Please?"

"I'll think about it."She stood up. I pulled her to me swiftly and pressed my lips to hers. "You really should stop doing that." She said when I released her. "You're getting married in two weeks."

"We'll see." I said, repressing a smile.

It was perfect. A pale shade of purple, a wraparound porch, two stories with a basement, and a large fenced in yard with several trees. I could almost picture the perfect place for a tree house. The first part of mine and mothers plan was to go out and buy a house with at least 3 bedrooms. This one had 5. I entered the house and looked around. The house started in a living room decorated in shades of brown. On the other side of the living room, I looked around the kitchen and dining room. On the far side of the kitchen was a sliding glass door leading to the porch and the back yard. Going back to the living room, I went down the short hall off to the side and glanced in the 3 rooms. There was a large bathroom with a shower, toilet, sink and a huge bathtub.

'_Oh, yeah. Hermione's going to love this!'_ I thought. The other two were just empty rooms. I went back to the beginning of the hall and quickly climbed the stairs. Upstairs, there were 3 more rooms, the master bedroom and two smaller rooms, along with another bathroom that was just as big as the one downstairs.

I smiled as I left the house and headed home. When I got there, I quickly spoke to mother about the house and we went to Gringotts to withdraw enough money to pay off the house. After speaking to the real estate agent and purchasing the house, we went to the furniture store to start filling the house.

The house was coming along well. In fact, it was almost finished. Which was good, considering my wedding was a week away. Not that it would be an actual wedding though. Oh, no. My plans were far from over.

I was spending as much time as possible outside of the house. Due to the impending wedding, Astoria was being bridezilla. It was expected. She was a snotty, stuck-up, self-centered bitch. Emphasis on the bitch part. It would make it all that much better when I told her exactly how I felt about her.

"Mother?" I yelled, as I entered the Manor.

"She's not here." My father came striding out of the sitting room, Astoria trailing along behind him. "We need to talk Draco."

"About?" I donned a bored facial expression but my heart was thumping wildly. Could father have found out about the plans?

"In here. I need a drink." He went back to the sitting room and I followed silently. I sat down and watched as he poured two drinks. He turned so that my view of the drinks was blocked and my suspicion grew. He turned and handed me a drink. I took it and set it on the table next to me.

"So what is this about?" I asked. Astoria sat down next to me and tried to take my hand. "Astoria, I told you. Don't touch me."

"This is exactly what this is about!" She screeched, pushing her black hair out of her face. "You never spend time with me! And Lucius and I know you're seeing someone else!"

"And why do you think that?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Don't be difficult, Draco. You're never home lately." Said my father.

"Can you blame me?" I stood up and 'accidentally' knocked my drink off the table. I growled and headed towards the drinks to get a new, non-drugged one. "Astoria is always stomping around the Manor like Bridezilla!" I turned around and took a drink of my scotch, almost satisfied at the hurt look on Astoria's face. She stood up and, swear to Merlin, stomped her foot.

"Is it my fault that I want my wedding to be perfect?"

"You can have a perfect wedding without being a flaming bitch about it…"

"This is not the point." My father said calmly. "The point is, we all know that you are seeing someone else. And it will stop. Now." I ignored him and walked out of the room.

_Knock, knock_

"Come in!" I yelled later that day. My mother opened the door to my room and stepped in. "What is it?" She came over and sat on the bed with me.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "You need to stop seeing Hermione."

"What?" I asked, incredulous.

"At least until the wedding." She said quickly. "The house is already paid for and set up. The spells around it are cast. You need to be here for the next few days so that they think you gave up." I considered her words.

"I'll see her one last time. Then, I guess I can sit through Astoria's bitch fits. I need to find out if she's coming to the wedding."

"Very well. I'll come with you. We'll tell them were going to… Arrange for the honeymoon. I'd like to see Rosie again anyways. Get ready to go. I'll go speak to your father and we'll leave in 15." She got up quickly and strode out of the room. I changed out of my stuffy formal robes and into jeans and a blue button up t-shirt. I'd never understand why father insisted on us wearing formal robes in the house.

I met mother down in the foyer and we left the Manor.

We apparated into Godric's Hollow and walked down the street to Potter's house. Weasley answered the door when I knocked.

"What the bloody hell do you want?" He asked, scowling. Behind him, Hermione came down the stairs carrying Rose.

"Ron, stop." She said. "I've got it." He glanced at her and turned around into the living room. She came out onto the porch and shut the door behind her. "How are you?" She asked, smiling.

"Father knows I'm seeing someone. I have to stay away for a while." I told her quickly. Her face fell.

"Oh."

"Mother, can you watch Rose up here for a moment?" I took Rose out of Hermione's arms and handed her to mother before taking Hermione's hand and leading her to the willow in the yard. She sat down on the swing and I stood behind her. "You know I don't want to. And you know I have something planned. If I continue to see you every day, the plans will be ruined." I nuzzled my face into her neck and breathed in her scent. Lavender and vanilla. "I'd much rather spend my days with you and Rose. But… if father figures out what I've been doing then my plans won't go through."

"Why won't you just tell me what you're planning?" She asked.

"Because I want it to be a surprise for you. I will tell you this though. You need to be at the wedding. And after the wedding, we can be together." She stood up abruptly and spun around to face me.

"So what? You want me to be your mistress?" She growled.

"What? No!" I walked around the swing and took one of her hands, letting my other hand rest against her cheek. "Hermione, no." I sighed. "I have no intention of marrying Astoria. Just… Just trust me. Please?"

"Why don't you just call off the wedding then?" She demanded.

"My father would never let me."

"So what makes you think you'll get away with whatever you have planned then?"

"He'll be surprised and won't be able to stop it in front of a crowd that big." She growled in frustration.

"Just tell me! Tell me what you're going to do!" I released her face and pulled her to me by the hand, wrapping my arms around her.

"You just need to trust me." I whispered in her ear. "By the 6th, we'll be together, I promise. Father won't be able to find or stop us." I pulled back and cupped her face, placing my forehead on hers. "We can be together. You, me and Rosie. We can be a real family. If we can just wait a few days, we can be together for real." Tears started falling down her cheeks and I pulled her towards me again, letting her cry into my chest. "Are you going to come?" I asked when she had quieted down. She nodded into my chest and I breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione went inside and brought down a blanket and some lunch. Mother and sat in the front yard with her and Rose for a few hours before heading home.


	3. Wedding of the Year

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 3 – The Wedding of the Year**

The day was here. My 19th birthday and my wedding day. I was dressed in the traditional black and white dress robes.

"Do you know what you're going to say for your vows?" My father asked. We were in his study waiting for the wedding to begin. I suppressed a smirk.

"Yes father. I know exactly what I'm going to say." I replied. I excused myself and went to visit with the guests. I saw Potter and the Weasley's sitting towards the back and walked over to them. A little boy with turquoise hair sat in Potter's lap. "Kidnapping is against the law, Potter." I said, lifting an eyebrow.

"This is my godson Teddy." He said, laughing. "Since Lupin and Tonks both died in the war, Teddy goes to me. He's been staying at Tonk's parents house the last little while because it's been kind of crazy lately with training and then starting work."

"Why does he have turquoise hair?" I asked.

"He gets it from Tonks." Potter laughed. "She was a Metamorphmagus." I nodded.

"How old is he?"

"He's a year and a month. He was born in May, just before Graduation and the war." I nodded and glanced around.

"Where is Hermione?" I asked.

"She went to the loo." I nodded and headed in that direction.

I caught her just as she was coming out. She was dressed in a simple black halter dress that was cut at an angle on the bottom. The shortest side came to her knee and the longest almost touched the floor. It looked like she'd been crying.

"Hello, Granger. Glad you could come. How are you?" I asked her, nodding my head slightly towards the staircase. My father was standing at the bottom talking to one of his business associates.

"I've been good Malfoy. And you?" She asked politely.

"I've been better." I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out a small mirror, angling myself so my father couldn't see. I dropped my voice and said, "Go back in the loo. This is a two way mirror. I need to talk to you." I shifted back to my original position and glanced at my father. It didn't look like he had seen anything. "I'm glad you're here." I told her in a regular voice. "I'm sure you'll… enjoy the wedding." I smirked and a sad smile graced her face. "If you'll excuse me, Granger."

"Yes. I'll see you later. Bye Malfoy." I turned around and headed up the stairs then sprinted to my study and took out the mirror that was in my desk.

"Concero," I said, passing my hand over the mirror. Moments later, Hermione's face swam into view. "Hermione, listen closely." I glanced at the door. "The wedding is starting any minute."

"I know." She replied. I smiled at her.

"Just before the vows, get up. You can stay within hearing range if you'd like. It's probably going to be quite amusing." I smirked. "But listen, right after the vows, apparate to Godric's Hollow and I'll meet you there ok?"

"What are you going to do Draco?" She asked slowly.

"Simple. I'm going to tell Astoria exactly how I feel about her and then walk out." I shrugged. "Where's Rose?"

"She's with Molly." I nodded.

"Ok. So… change of plans. Apparate to the Weasley's, get Rose and then meet me at Godric's Hollow." She nodded.

_Knock, knock. Shit._

"Gotta go. See you soon. Remember what I said." I whispered. "Concero Nox," Hermione faded from the mirror and I shoved it in my desk just as my mother peaked inside. I sighed in relief. "Mother. It's you. I thought it was father."

"No. I knew what you were doing so I volunteered to come get you. Is she here?" I nodded. "Good. Everything is going as planned. But you need to get down there. Get ready for your big… speech." She said. I got up and followed her down the where the ceremony was being held. It was being held in the garden that my mother had built and planted. She was secretly furious about this of course, but she hid her feelings well. It was beautiful, of course. For some reason, Astoria had chosen our wedding colors to be white, dark blue and orange. The colors looked strange together but mother had hired the best wedding planner in the wizarding world and he made it work. Thankfully, he hadn't used too much orange. Although, I had heard that Astoria had thrown a fit over it. All the chairs, along with the alter, were white. Around the edge of the garden flowers were charmed to be blue, white and orange. That was about all the orange there was. I stood at the alter and waited for bridezilla to arrive. According to mother she had chosen a dress that was almost as obnoxious as she was.

And as she came down the isle, I had to agree. The skirt was… HUGE! She looked like she was having a hard time getting down the aisle in it. It was plain white, made of some netting material. The top was corset style with, Merlin help me, blue and orange accents. I was certain she had stuffed something in the top of her dress, because her chest certainly wasn't big enough to hold it up alone.

'_This woman doesn't need my help embarrassing her, she's doing it just fine by herself.'_ I thought. I chanced a glance at Hermione and saw her snickering behind her hand. I didn't bother to cover my smile, everyone would think I was smiling at Astoria anyways. Bridezilla reached me and the minister began. I glanced down and repressed a laugh. The netting was covering my legs so much that I couldn't see from waist down.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Draco Adrian Malfoy, and this woman, Astoria Melanie Greengrass, in matrimony." Kingsley said in his deep voice. "The couple have chosen to write and deliver their own vows and they will do so after the promises." He turned to me. "Draco Adrian Malfoy, do you take Astoria Melanie Greengrass to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, til eath do you part?"

'_No I most certainly do not.'_ I thought.

"I do." I said in a flat voice. Kingsley repeated the same thing to Astoria and she grinned up at me.

"I do." She said. She looked… Happy. It almost made me feel bad about what I was about to do… Almost.

"Draco, you may begin your vows now." Kingsley said. I cleared my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hermione slip behind the hedge of the garden.

"Astoria, I've never been straight foreword about how I really feel about you." I saw my father stiffen and glare at me. "So I'll tell you now. In front of all of your friends and family." She frowned. This obviously wasn't how she pictured it to be. Bluntly, I continued. "You are the most stuck-up, self-centered bitch I have ever had the unfortunate to meet. I didn't like you while we were in school and I like you even less now. If it weren't for the fact that father forced this wedding, I wouldn't be marrying you now. In fact, I still won't be marrying you." I stepped off the alter. "I'd rather be flat arse broke and happy than be rich and stuck with someone like you." I turned to the audience. "I'm terribly sorry you all had to clear your day for this joke of a wedding. To make up for it, the dining room is filled with delicious food. Enjoy." With that, I walked back down the aisle and out of the garden.

Mother was standing in the foyer laughing harder than I'd ever seen her laugh before.

"That was amazing, Draco!" She rushed over and hugged me then handed me a large bag. "There's a few hundred galleons in there. It should keep you up until you find a job."

"Thanks, Mum." I didn't call her mum often and it seemed to catch her off guard. "You know where to find me. Father will be furious. You should probably leave as well."

"I'll be fine." She glanced behind me and paled. "Go, Draco." I turned to see my father striding out of the garden. Without another word, I sprinted out the front door and to the gates. Once outside the gates, I spun in a circle and apparated to Godric's Hollow.

When I got to the house, Hermione was in the living room with Rose.

"Well? What did you think? Was it worth going to the wedding for?" I asked her. She laughed.

"That was bloody fantastic!" said a voice behind me. I turned to see Potter with a ham sandwich in his hand. I gave a little bow.

"Thank you, thank you." I turned back to Hermione. "Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yes. Where are we going?" She stood up and I walked over to pick Rose up.

"You'll see. We'll be back Potter." He nodded, mouth full of sandwich. I led her out of the yard and onto the street. I handed Rose to her. "Close your eyes." I told her. She did so. I wrapped my arms around them both and apparated us to Faversham in Kent. Faversham is a small village in Kent, England and I knew Hermione would love it there. It had a famous brewery, a large community market, lots of community festivals, and an old-town feel, among other things. Most of the occupants there were also wizards.

I apparated us to the designated apparition point for the town, which was a road unknown to muggles, and told Hermione to open her eyes. She opened them and started looking around.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Faversham, Kent." I replied. I took her hand and led her to a small shop down the road. I pulled the door open and ushered her in.

"Oh my…" She breathed. We were in a book shop, of course. At the back of the store was a door that opened into the muggle part of the shop. From there, you could leave the shop and enter the muggle part of town. Most shops in Faversham were like this, there were few shops owned by muggles. Hermione handed Rose to me and immediately started looking around. She came and found me a few moments later looking at kids books with Rose. She holding a book with a pleading look in her eyes. I sighed.

"Give it here." She squealed and handed it to me. "Hogwarts: A History? Don't you own this already?"

"Well, yes. But not this version. This one just came out. It has all the information about the last battle and various stories about Harry and Dumbledore. It even recognizes everyone that died in the war! And this is a first edition so-" I held up a hand.

"Ok, I get it. You want it." She nodded excitedly. "Ok. Well, come on. This isn't really what I wanted to show you." We went to the register and paid for the book then left the store out of the wizard side. I handed Rose to her and pulled them into my arms again, apparating away.

We landed in front of the pale purple house.

"Welcome home." I whispered in her ear. She turned around and stared at the house. "Do you like it?" I asked nervously. Suddenly, she turned around and flung her free arm around me.

"I love it!" She said. I wrapped my arms around Hermione and Rose, kissing them both on the forehead.

"Good. Because it's ours." She looked at me.

"Ours?" I nodded.

"This was the first part of my plan. Mother and I bought it and furnished it. This is our new home. Would you like to see inside before you decide if you're going to stay with me?" She laughed and nodded.

I showed her around the house, leaving the downstairs bedrooms for last. The living room was furnished with a matching brown couch and love seat, matching end tables and coffee table, and a muggle entertainment center. I wasn't entirely sure what it was but I knew about television and I loved it! The living room also had a fireplace and a small bar pushed against the wall by the kitchen door. The walls were a dirty white color.

The kitchen was painted light blue with dark cabinets, kitchen table and chairs. All the appliances were there; refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, coffee pot, and microwave. I showed her the bathroom and, like I thought, she couldn't wait to take a bath. Upstairs one room was a nursery for Rose and another was our bedroom.

Rose's nursery was painted a light purple with a matching carpet. She had a new crib, changing table, and dresser. I had also bought a pram, some new clothes and a bunch of toys. Hermione went a laid Rose down for a nap and I showed her our room. In the middle of the room sat a king sized bed. There was a walk-in closet with enough room for both of our clothes, mine were already hung up. I had packed everything of mine up last night and just before the wedding mother had sent a house elf here to put everything away. I left the walls and carpet white and the bed had no coverings.

"I thought we could choose the colors together." I explained. I brought her back out into the hall and led her to the last upstairs bedroom. "There's 5 bedrooms in this house." I told her. "I'm hoping to fill up at least two more." I pushed the door open and she stepped inside. She turned back around and smirked at me.

"You want another baby?" She asked. I nodded glancing around the room. It was set up the same way as Rose's nursery. The only difference was that this room what all white seeing as I couldn't know if we would have another girl or a boy next. "We'll talk about it." She said.

We went back downstairs and I led her down the hall again. "I saved the best for last." I pushed open the door on the right and she stepped into the library. Shelves lined the walls and a few were set up in the middle of the room as well. Comfortable looking chairs were placed around the room. Against the wall with the door were 2 desks. She turned around and grinned at me.

"You made us our own library?" She said, laughing.

"Yes." I pulled her towards me and wrapped my arms around her waist. "I know how much you love books." She nodded.

"So what's in the other room?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just an empty room." We spent the rest of the night together. Rose woke up hungry while we were eating dinner and then slept the rest of the night. It gave me a good idea as to what my life would be like from now on.

Mother visited the next day to see how we were settling in and to let us know how things at the Manor were going.

"She threw a huge fit and Lucius kicked her out." Mother told me. Hermione snorted.

"Serves her right. She treated Draco horribly." Hermione got up to go get Rose, who had woken up from her nap and was now letting everyone know that she was awake.

"Draco," My mother started. "Lucius isn't mad." I stared at her. "He wants you to come home." I shook my head.

"No. I'm happy here. I'm done with him dictating how I live. No. I'm not coming back. I'm staying here with Hermione and Rose."

"Maybe if you just sit down with him and talk. He-"

"I'm not going to risk it." I interrupted her. There was a knock on the door. I got up and pulled the door open. "Potter, Weasleys. What can I do for you?"

"Hermione asked us to come." Potter said, adjusting Teddy in his arms. I stepped aside and let them in.

"Would you like anything to drink?" I asked. They gave each other surprised looks.

"That would be… nice." Potter said. "Do you have coffee?" I nodded and looked at Weasleys.

"Tea, please." Said Weaslette.

"Water." Weasley said.

"Anything for Teddy?" I asked.

"No. I've got some juice for him." Potter replied. I nodded and went into the kitchen. Mother followed me.

"If he could get to know Hermione and Rose I'm sure he'd be okay with it." She pressed. I sighed.

"Mother, I'm not going to risk their lives." She opened her mouth to argue and I continued quickly. "And don't tell me they're not in danger. I know my father. If he doesn't approve of them, which he won't, he'll try to force me to leave them. When I refuse, he'll simply get rid of the problem, like he always does. I'm not going to put them in that kind of situation." I went back into the living room. "How do you like your coffee and tea?" Hermione was sitting on the couch as well, Rose in her lap. Teddy was playing on the floor with some toys. "Do you want anything to drink, Mia?" Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"Mia?" She asked. I smirked.

"You don't like your new nickname?" I asked.

"Not really…"

"Oh well." She stuck her tongue out at me and I resisted the urge to do the same. "Potter, Weaslette?"

"Black, please." Potter replied.

"Lot's of sugar and a little milk." Said Weaslette.

"I'll come with you. Rose needs a bottle anyways." Hermione said. She placed Rose in Ginny's lap and got up.

"Hermione, would you please tell Draco that he needs to speak with his father?" Mother said as soon as we stepped into the kitchen.

"Ummm…"

"Mother seems to think that if I sit down and talk to Lucius he will suddenly realize the error of his ways and accept you and Rosie." I explained. Hermione shrugged.

"It might be worth a shot." She said. My jaw dropped and I turned to face her.

"What? Are you insane? This is my father we're talking about. Best known muggleborn hater of all time, next to Voldemort."

"But Draco, he's your father."

"Yes. A father that hasn't given a shit whether or not I was happy for the first 19 bloody years of my life! Why would he start caring now?" Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe your little outburst at the wedding was enough to snap some sense into him. Is he upset Narcissa?" My mother nodded.

"Draco, I swear. He's regretting trying to make you marry Astoria."

"That doesn't mean that he will accept Hermione and Rose." I grabbed everyone's drinks and went out to the living room. I set their drinks down and went over to the bar for some scotch. If they wanted to talk about my father, I was going to need a drink.


	4. Dinner With Lucius

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 4 – Dinner With Lucius**

Life in Faversham was quiet. I loved spending all day with Hermione and Rose. We were still getting to know each other and I was trying to put off finding a job. I wanted as much time with them as possible. I finally gave up though and went to sign up for Auror training at the ministry.

"Hello Draco." Came my father's voice. I froze in my tracks and turned around.

"Father." I replied.

"Where have you been?" He asked. He was hiding his emotions well and I couldn't tell if I was right or if mother and Hermione were.

"Nowhere." I replied. He nodded.

"What are you here for?"

"I'm signing up for Auror training." I said coolly.

"Auror training?" He raised an eyebrow. "What about ministry business? I thought that's what you want to do?"

"No. That's what you wanted me to do. You never bothered to ask what I wanted. You never do." He frowned.

"You should come home, Draco."

"I am home." I turned around and walked away. I found the Auror office fairly quickly and went up to the receptionist. "Hi. My name's Draco Malfoy. I'd like to sign up for Auror training." The woman passed me a packet of papers without looking up.

"Fill these out and your application will be looked over." I grabbed the packet and went to sit down.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" I looked up, halfway through the packet, and saw Potter leaving the office.

"Filling these papers out so I can apply to be an Auror." I told him. Potter laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Malfoy, you don't have to fill those out. You should have just asked for me. Come on." He picked up the papers and tossed them in the trash. I growled. I had been working on those for over half an hour and now they tell me I didn't have to?! I followed Potter to his desk.

"Why don't I have to fill those out?" I asked.

"You fought in the war." He shrugged. "We know you can fight. We don't need you to pass the written exam."

"Does that mean I don't have to go through training?" I asked hopefully.

"No. But nice try." He laughed. "You just need to fill out a few forms and pass a physical exam. Once you pass the physical, we can start you on training." He handed me a few pieces of parchment and I quickly filled them out. Pretty basic stuff; name, birthday, schooling, etc.

"When can I do my physical?" I asked, pushing the papers back to him. He pulled out another parchment and studied it for a moment.

"Tomorrow at 9am." I nodded. "Dress in something comfortable. I would suggest running pants and plain t-shirt."

***************

I arrived at the Ministry the next morning feeling out of place in my black jogging pants and plain white t-shirt. I hurried to the Aurors office and checked in then sat down to wait.

"Come on, Malfoy." I glanced up to see Potter waiting for me. I stood up.

"You're doing my test?" I lifted an eyebrow and he nodded.

"Yup. Let's go." I followed him out of the office and to the lift. He pressed the 0 button and the lift started descending. When the lifts opened again, he led me down a short hall and through a door.

"The Ministry had a gym?" I asked.

"This is where we do all the Auror training. Start running." He said.

"I-What?"

"Start running. This is the first part of your test. You do 3 laps around the gym. If your time is okay and you're not dead tired, we'll move to the next part." I sighed and started running.

When I was done, I stopped in front of him. He was leaning back in a chair in the corner reading a book.

"Now what?" I asked. He glanced at the clock and then at me. I was sweating a bit and breathing heavily but not wheezing.

"Now we see how flexible you are and test your balance and reflexes." He had me do a series of stretches and then walk along a few beams. I'd walk along one and he'd put another about a foot away. I had to jump from one to the other. Each time the beams would get farther away. After 5 he stopped and I jumped off.

"Now what?"

"Block me." He said quickly before throwing a punch at me. I blocked him quickly, only to have to block his foot as it came up to my knee. He spun around and tried to elbow me in the stomach and I dodged it. Damn he was fast! He threw a few more punches in quick succession which I blocked. His foot came out of nowhere and I ducked before it could smack me in the head. It went on for a few minutes. He'd tried to punch or kick me and I'd dodge quickly. He landed a few blows, that I knew were going to hurt in the morning, but for the most part I did well. "Good job, Malfoy."

"Thanks." I said, breathing hard.

"I'll give you a short break and then we have one more thing to do." He walked over to a small fridge that I hadn't seen before and tossed me a water bottle. "It's not so much a test as an assessment. We just need to see where you are in hand-to-hand combat so we can place you in training squad."

"So I'm in?" I asked taking a drink of the cold water. He nodded. I leaned against the wall drinking my water and catching my breath.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." I put my water bottle down and walked over to him.

"Just land as many punches as you can." He told me. I nodded before striking out at him.

***************

"I didn't mean to give him a bloody nose!" I told Hermione that night.

"Yes. I'm sure you didn't." She said rolling her eyes.

"I didn't!" I insisted. I had landed a good punch on Potter during my test. Unfortunately, that punch had given him a bloody nose. I was pleased though. I had passed the test with flying colors, mainly red. I chuckled at the thought. I really hadn't meant to give him a bloody nose. But it was satisfying none the less. Knowing you could give the boy wonder, one of the best Aurors in the department, a bloody nose was a bit of an ego boost.

Just then, an owl flew in through the open window. Hermione took the scroll from the owl and studied it.

"Ummm, Draco?" She said softly. "It's from your father." I hastily walked over and pulled the letter out of her hand.

_Draco,  
Your mother and I were hoping that you, Hermione, and Rose would join us for dinner tonight. It's nothing fancy, just a simple family dinner. Please consider it and send a reply with the owl._

_Believe it or not, I would like to get to know the woman who has captivated you so completely. And my granddaughter. I also have a few things to speak to you about._

_Signed,  
Your father_

I sighed. The man never stopped.

"Go put on something nice." I told Hermione. "We're going to the Manor for dinner." She grabbed Rose and headed upstairs. I scribbled out a confirmation to father and went upstairs to take a shower and change.

***************

We arrived at the Manor a few hours later. Father had said nothing special but he always expected his family to look nice, which is why I was now dressed in black slacks, a silk green button up shirt and black dress robes. Hermione was wearing in a baby blue dress that fell to just below her knees. It had thick straps and was fairly tight on the top then flowed down. Her hair was pulled back in loose ponytail. Rosie looked every bit the Malfoy that she was. Her curly blonde hair was brushed to perfection. She was wearing an adorable little dress that I bought her. It was white on top and the skirt was green checkered. She had little, shiny, black shoes on her feet. She was the cutest bloody 5-month old in the world.

Mother answered the door before we even reached it.

"Draco, Hermione, come in. Rose looks adorable!" She squealed.

"Thank you." Hermione said.

"Where's father?" I asked. I hated being back here and just wanted the night to be over.

"He's in the sitting room." We followed her in to the room and sat down. "Anything to drink Draco?" Mother asked.

"Scotch please." I sat down and glanced over at my father. He was staring into the fire.

"Hermione, anything for you?" Mother asked.

"No thank you. I'm still breast feeding." Hermione said.

"Really?" Mother handed me my drink and sat down beside father. Hermione nodded.

"Rose doesn't have any teeth yet." She explained.

"How old is she now?"

"Almost 5 months." I saw mother elbow father and he finally looked at us. Hermione fidgeted.

"5 months, you say?" Father asked. Hermione nodded. "When is her birthday?"

"February 15th," Hermione replied. Father looked at me.

"How long had you known?" He asked. I glared at him. "I'm not asking to be rude. I'm honestly curious."

"I found out two weeks before the wedding." He nodded. A house elf appeared in the door way.

"Dinner is being served." Jimsy squeaked. He disappeared. We all went to the dining room and began eating.

"So, Hermione." Mother said. "How are you liking the new house?"

"I love it. It's a very nice house. It's good to have a place of my own. Well, not completely my own but it's good to have Draco there as well." She glanced over at me a smiled.

"So tell me more about Rose." Father said abruptly.

"Umm, what would you like to know?" Hermione replied politely.

"Well, so far all I know is her birthdate and first name. Where was she born? What's her full name? What's her temperament like? Things like that."

"She was born at St. Mungos." Hermione began. "Her full name is Rose Marie Granger, though I'll probably change her last name eventually." I glanced at her. I hadn't heard anything about that. "She's a pretty calm baby. She doesn't cry very much, only when she needs something. She loves to be sung and read to. She can almost sit up without help, she loves attention and talking."

"She was conceived during your 7th year correct?" Father asked. She nodded, turning a little red. "Were the two of you in a relationship?"

"We couldn't be." I spoke up. "I was supposed to be with Astoria." Father looked at me but said nothing. I pulled Rose out of Hermione's lap, grabbed my scotch, and left the room without a word. I went into the sitting room and laid down on the couch with Rose lying on my chest.

"Draco?" came Hermione's voice a few minutes later. She came into view and took the empty glass out of my hand. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, kneeling down next to me.

"He's asking us these questions to embarrass us and make us look bad, Hermione." I told her. "And if he's going to continue to do it then we're leaving. I just needed to calm down a bit." I held onto Rose and sat up.

"Draco, my I have a word?" I looked over to see father standing in the doorway. "In my study?" I handed Rose to Hermione and nodded then followed him up the stairs.

He sat down behind his desk when we got there and gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of him. When I sat down, he began talking.

"I wasn't happy about your display during your wedding."

"I wasn't happy about the wedding." I countered. He sighed.

"I have something to say. And I need you to keep quiet while I'm talking." He paused but I said nothing. "Good. Now, as a Malfoy family tradition you are to marry someone that you mother and I approve of. I am aware that your mother approves of Ms. Granger and is quite besotted by the child." He sighed again. "There for, in order to not lose my only son, you can keep your inheritance on the grounds that you keep us informed of your life and visit at least twice a month especially on holidays." I was shocked. My father was actually letting me stay with Hermione?

"Why?" I finally asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you okay with this?"

"You're my only son, Draco. I know that I've made a lot of bad choices where you were concerned, one of them being Astoria. I've never been a good father but from now on, I'm going to try. Starting with this." I nodded, not knowing what to say. "So when's the wedding?" I looked up at him.

"Umm, I haven't even asked her yet." I shrugged. "We're just getting to know each other right now." He nodded.

"I apologize if I embarrassed either you or Ms. Granger with my questions earlier. I was honestly curious how Rose came to be."

"We weren't together. I told her how I felt about her, she told me she felt the same and things just kind of got… out of control, I suppose. I'd had feelings for her since fourth year." I laughed and the frowned. "She didn't tell me about Rose because she knew I was having a hard enough time marrying Astoria as it was. She didn't want to make it any harder on me."

"You love her, don't you?" Father asked. I considered his words. Did I love Hermione? She made me happy, that's for sure. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, raising Rose and more children. I wanted to marry her and grow old with her. Watch our children and grandchildren grow up, even if that meant I had to deal with Potter and Weasley for the rest of my life.

"Yes, I suppose I do." I smiled.

"And Rose, she's… defiantly a Malfoy. She's adorable." I nodded. "You're really happy, aren't you?"

"Yes. I am. I'm very happy. I have a beautiful, amazing girlfriend and a perfect daughter."

"Yes."

"Father, would you get on with what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Of course. This isn't easy for me to say. And don't expect me to say it ever again." He paused. "You're my only son. I want you to be happy. Not everyone turns out like your mother and I. We had an arranged marriage but we soon became friends and then fell in love. I realize that if you're already in love with someone, there's no way you will fall in love with someone else that we choosen for you. Correct?"

"Yes, Sir." I was slightly confused by all of this.

"Therefore, I am allowing you to stay with Ms. Granger."

"I don't need your permission to stay with her. It doesn't matter what you say, I'm going to be with Hermione." I said quickly.

"I understand that. You didn't allow me to finish. I want you to be happy and it's obvious that Ms. Granger and Rose make you happy. Because of this, I'm allowing you to stay with her. I'm also letting you keep your inheritance and property." I was shocked.

"Are you serious?!" I shouted. It was just too good to be true. Why would my father, muggle-born hater extraordinaire, be okay with his heir being with a muggleborn? "Why?"

"Because I don't want to lose my only son." He said simply. "I've realized that if I try to force you to be with someone that you don't want to be with then I will lose you. And, let's be honest, you're mother would probably murder me in my sleep if that were to happen."


	5. One Plus One Equals Five

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 5 – One Plus One Equals Four**

I pulled Hermione aside and told her what father had told me. She was thrilled to say the least, as was mother.

"This means you can move back into the Manor!" She squealed.

"I think we'll probably stay in Faversham, Mother." I told her. Her face fell.

"But why?" She said and, swear to Merlin, she stuck out her lower lip and pouted.

"'Cissa, don't do that. It's very immature." Father said, swirling his scotch.

"Hermione and I like it in Faversham. We like our house. I've never really liked the Manor. It's too big." I shrugged. Hermione nodded her agreement.

"You may stay in Faversham on one condition." Father said. "You must come visit us at least once a week."

"Two conditions." Mother interrupted. "You have to have the wedding here as well."

"Who says we're getting married?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. Hermione's head whipped towards me and she stared at me.

"Excuse me?" She said. I smiled over at her.

"I'm joking, love."

"Good." She said firmly.

"Do you agree with the conditions?" Father asked. I nodded. We visited for a while longer and then returned home.

***************

I finally had my first day of Auror training. We spent half of the three hours running and the other half beating the crap out of each other. They wanted us to focus on hand to hand before we moved to spells and such. I came home exhausted.

"Honey, I'm home!" I yelled jokingly. Hermione came walking down the stairs in her robe. "Were you getting ready for a shower?"

"Yes. Would you like to join me?" She asked.

"Absolutely. Where's Rosie?"

"She's asleep."

"Perfect." I walked over, picked her up and tossed her over my shoulder. She laughed as I climbed the stairs, walked into our room and tossed her on the bed. I climbed on top of her.

"I thought you wanted to take a shower?" She said.

"We'll get to that." I kissed her and she wrinkled her nose.

"You stink." She said when I pulled back. "Let's go take a shower."

"We should get dirty before we get clean." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and she laughed.

"You're already dirty." She pointed out.

"Yes, but you're not." I leaned down and kissed her forcefully, pulling her robe apart. Once it was parted, I pushed myself up on my knees and pulled my shirt above my head.

"What about taking a shower?" She insisted.

"We'll get to it." I repeated. I jumped off the bed and pulled down my sweats and boxers then stood next to the edge of the bed and pulled her towards me. I leaned over and kissed her again as I slid inside her. She moaned and the sound shot waves of electricity straight to my groin. I stood up again and pulled almost all the way out before pushing back in again. She let out a gasp every time I pushed in. At this angle, I was able to get deeper and it seemed like it felt better for the both of us.

I trailed my hand up her abdomen to a breast and tweaked her nipple until it hardened. I did the same to the other and then bent over and took the first breast into my mouth, swirling my tongue around her nipple. She wiggled around beneath me, moaning and calling out my name. I switched to the second breast and gave it the same attention. She was clenching around me tightly and I knew I was going to lose it soon. I pulled myself up and trailed my hand down between us and flicked her clit with my thumb.

"Draco!" She called out. I circled her clit with my thumb before placing it on the bundle of nerves and rubbing it. Her hands fisted in the sheets ad she clenched around me one last time. Her muscles tightened and she shuddered.

"Hermione." I moaned as I spilled into her. I collapsed on to her stomach, completely exhausted from practice and our love making. With the last of my strength, I pulled out of her and climbed up on the bed, pulling her with me to the top.

"What about our shower?" She said, sleepily.

"Later." I replied. "I'm exhausted."

***************

_Draco, _

_Your mother and I are hosting a small get together at the Manor on July 25th beginning at 5pm and ending at 10pm. We would be most pleased if you and Ms. Granger would attend. It will be a formal occasion. I'm sure you have attended enough of those to know how to dress._

_Waiting for your response,  
Your father,  
Lucius_

I sighed. I hated my fathers get togethers.

"Hermione?" I called up the stairs.

"I'm changing Rose." She called back. I climbed the steps two at a time and went in to Rosie's nursery. I held up the piece of parchment.

"Father wants us to come to a get together him and Mother are hosting." I said.

"When is it?" She asked. She picked up Rose and went to sit in the rocking chair. She set Rose on her lap and started unbuttoning her blouse. I stared in fascination as she unhooked her nursing bra and lifted Rose up so she could eat. I shook my head quickly.

"Tomorrow night at 5pm. It's a formal thing so we'd have to dress up." I replied, shrugging.

"That sounds fine. I suppose we could go." I groaned. "Do you not want to?" She asked.

"No." I slid down the wall and sat on the floor with my knees bent in front of me. "I've always hated his get togethers. It's just a place for rich bastards to brag about what they have."

"Well, we don't have to." I shook my head.

"Mother would be furious if we don't." She laughed.

"Make up your mind. If you'd like we can make a small appearance and then leave."

"That sounds… tolerable I suppose." I got up to take a shower and change out of my Auror training outfit.

***************

The next night, we dressed up and took Rose to Potter's house. Hermione looked gorgeous in a dark purple evening gown that she bought earlier in the day. It was nicely fitted, strapless and fell to the floor with a corset style back. Black flowery designs were stitched into it from top to bottom. Her hair was pulled up into a neat ponytail and curled. We arrived at the Manor and before we went inside, I leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.

"You look amazing." I told her. She smiled.

"As do you." She replied. I looked down at my plain black dress robes with a dark purple tie and frowned.

"Standing next to you, I look plain." I took her hand and led her into the Manor, through the foyer and into the dining room/ballroom. The dining table had been removed and replaced with a small table in the corner for refreshments and the usual bar the father had for formal events.

We spoke with a few people, most of which had been to the wedding and looked disappointedly at me. About an hour after we arrived, Hermione slipped away and I found her, twenty minutes later, at the bar.

"I hope you can hold your alcohol." I told her. I ordered a scotch and sat down beside her as she took a shot of whiskey. "How many of those have you had?" I glanced at the 4 shots sitting on the bar in front of her and frowned.

"Counting this one? 5." She replied. "And yes. I am perfectly capable of holding my liquor. It'll probably take another 7 to get me drunk." She ordered another one and tossed it back. "You were right." She said suddenly.

"About?"

"These things." She spun around in her chair to face the crowd and leaned her back against the bar. "They're horrible. Just a place for people to show off."

"I told you." She childishly stuck her tongue out at me. I laughed. "Are you sure you're not drunk? Because it won't do for the future Mrs. Draco Malfoy to be plastered in public." She stood up quickly.

"I am not drunk." She said stamping her foot.

"Did you seriously just stamp your foot?" I asked. "I thought people only did that in movies?" I stood up and held my hand out to her. "Come along. We're going to dance."

"Aren't you supposed to ask me not tell me?" She cocked her head to the side in a way that reminded me of a cat.

"Come along." I grabbed her hand and led her to the middle of the floor. Half way through the song, I heard my mother's voice making an announcement.

"May I have everyone's attention?" She called out. Everyone stopped talking and turned towards her. Father stepped up next to her and I had a bad feeling about this… "As you all know, our son Draco was due to marry Astoria Greengrass on June 5th. Most of you were there for the… strange events," I heard several people laugh and saw several more turn to look at me. Hermione stiffened beside me. "The wedding was called off, obviously." She continued. "But now, we are happy to announce that he will be marrying a woman by the name of Hermione Granger, and hopefully he will go through with it this time. Thank you. Please be sure to congratulate them." I growled and grabbed Hermione's arm. I led her out of the ballroom, grabbing my mother on the way out. Father trailed behind us. When we reached the sitting room, I shut and locked the doors and cast a silencing charm on the room then turned to face my parents.

"What the bloody hell?!" I yelled.

"Draco, you know the family tradition." Mother said softly.

"Screw the family tradition!" I said angrily. "We don't want to get married yet! I'd at least like to date a while before we get engaged! You just announced to a room full of people that we're engaged!"

"Would someone please tell me what's going on here?" Hermione said loudly. "What exactly is the family tradition?!" I sighed.

"The Malfoy family tradition is that when the parents choose a suitable person for their child they announce an engagement." I told her.

"Without talking to either of them first?" She asked incredulously.

"Apparently. I was only told about Astoria because the wedding was so far away." I turned back to my parents. "So why didn't you talk to us about this first?"

"We wanted to get things going." Mother began. "You two need to be married before anyone knows about the child. It's bad enough that Rosie was born out of wedlock."

"Child?" I glanced at Hermione who looked just as confused as I was. "Mother, have you gone round the bend?"

"Of course not." She said quickly. "Hermione is pregnant. Even if she doesn't know it yet. Jimsy!" A house elf appeared between us with a _crack_.

"Yes Miss Cissa?"

"Bring me the bottle of Marlene's Potion." Jimsy bowed and disappeared only to show up a moment later with a small vial in his hand. "Thank you." The elf disappeared once more. Mother unstopped the vial and walked towards Hermione. Mother held it out to her. "Smell it." She said. Obediently, Hermione took the vial and held it up to her nose.

"Urgh, that's disgusting!" Hermione said, handing the vial back quickly. Mother smiled triumphantly.

"See. Pregnant." She said.

"What is that Mother?" I asked, reaching for the bottle. She handed it to me and I read the label aloud. "_Madam Marlene's Know-For-Sure Potion. Directions: Take a whiff of Madam Marlene's Know-For-Sure to settle your fears. If you smell something gross, there's a bun in the oven!_" Experimentally, I opened the vial and took a whiff. Nothing. Frowning, I said, "This stuff is weird." I stopped the vial again and gave it back to mother.

"The fact remains that Hermione is pregnant and the two of you need to get married before it becomes obvious." Father said. I sighed.

"May I speak to Hermione alone for a moment?" Mother and Father nodded and left the room. I turned to Hermione. "How do you feel about all of this?" She sighed and sat down on the couch.

"I'm not sure." She said.

"About what?"

"I don't know. Everything." She shrugged. I sat down beside her and took her hand.

"Are you sure about us? What are you sure about?"

"I'm sure about us. I'm sure that I want us to be a family, you, me and Rose."

"And this baby." I placed a hand on her stomach and smiled. "I can't believe we're going to have another brat." She laughed and we both grew silent. "Do you want to get married?" I asked finally.

"Yes, eventually. I'm just not sure I want to get married right now." She sighed.

"Well, I can try to convince my parents of that although I'm sure it won't work." Suddenly, she got a determined look on her face and stood up. She walked out of the room and came back a moment later with mother and father.

"How quickly can you get a wedding together, Mrs. Malfoy?" She asked. Mother laughed.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Narcissa? I suppose it will depend on what you want?" Mother replied.

"Nothing big." Hermione shrugged. "Just family and friends."

"A month or so." Hermione turned and kneeled down in front of me. She took my hands and looked into my eyes.

"Draco, I love you. Rose has never really had a proper family. I want this baby to be born into a proper family and I want Rose to finally have that. I want to have a family of my own and I want you to be part of it." She said. I smiled softly and kissed her on the forehead.

"You're wish is my command, Hermione."


	6. Wedding Preparations

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 6 – Wedding Preparations**

I had never thought of Hermione as the type of woman to plan a wedding. I thought she would let Mother plan it all and let her have her way. That was most defiantly not the case though. Hermione spent all day at the Manor planning with Mother while I was at Auror training. I was determined to go through training and become an Auror even though I had my inheritance back, which was essentially more money than I could spend in 10 lifetimes. I didn't want to spend my days lazing about the house, I wanted to actually do something with my life.

The wedding date was set for August 28, exactly a month from now. The colors were much better than what Astoria had wanted. Hermione had chosen white, blue and yellow. They were from her favorite muggle movie, Beauty and the Beast. I tried to insist on red and yellow but she wouldn't have it. Women. It was going to be held out in Mother's garden and our gardeners had planted a few willows which we would stand under.

I finished up Auror training one day, went home to take a shower and change and then went to the Manor.

"Mother? Hermione?" I called, stepping in the front doors. I heard a _crack_ and looked down to see Jimsy standing on front of me.

"Miss 'Cissa and Miss 'Mione went to buy dressies with Misses Ginny." Jimsy squeaked.

"Thank you Jimsy. Did they take Rosie with them?"

"Yes Master Draco."

"How long ago did they leave?"

"This morning. Jimsy is not sure of the time." I sighed and dismissed the elf then went into the sitting room for some scotch. I poured myself a drink and sat on the couch, leaning back on the arm and stretching my legs out. I must have dozed off because I woke with a start to something being placed on my chest. I looked down to see Rosie laying on my chest.

"Good morning, Draco" Hermione laughed. I set my empty glass on the floor and stretched.

"What time is it?" I asked. It was dark outside.

"It's 7."

"Did you find a dress?" She nodded and sat down at my feet. "May I see it?"

"No you may not. It's bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding."

"That's an old wives tale." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Even so, I want it to be a surprise."

"Can you at least tell me what color it is?" I asked.

"It's white and blue. Mine and Rosie's dresses match."

"What does it look like? Describe it to me."

"Nice try but no."

We had our first baby check-up a week later. Hermione was 11 weeks along and everything looked normal. We could find out what the baby was in 5 weeks and her due date was set for April 5. As for the wedding, things were moving along well. We had three weeks left and they were almost finished planning it. All they had left to finish were the seating arrangements and the invitations were all sent out. Thankfully, I was almost completely done with Auror training.

I was at a loss as to where to take Hermione for our honeymoon. I considered Paris for a while but I thought it was too clichéd. Finally, I just decided to ask Hermione where she wanted to go. I got home from training and Hermione was asleep on the couch with Rose so I went upstairs, took a quick shower and changed.

"'Mione?" I said softly. I sat down next to her and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Hmmm?"

"Are you awake?" I asked, laughing.

"No." She snuggled deeper into the couch, waking Rose up on accident.

"Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?" I picked Rose up and she laid her head down on my shoulder. While she was thinking it over, I studied my daughter. She was 6 months old now and I couldn't believe how big she was getting.

"I've always wanted to go to Alaska. Or Egypt. Or maybe Paris, though I've already been there a few times. I love it there."

"Alaska, Egypt or Paris, huh?" She nodded, her eyes still closed. "How about all three?" She finally opened her eyes to look at me like I was bonkers.

"All three? We wouldn't have time for all three."

"Yes, we would. We could spend the most time in Alaska and Egypt, since you've already been to Paris. It would only take about two weeks."

"I don't want to be away from Rose that long." She stretched and then sat up, leaning against the arm of the couch. "By the way, Harry wants us to go to Godric's Hollow tonight and have dinner with them."

"That sounds fine. If you don't want to go to all three then decide where you want to go the most." She considered this for a moment.

"Alaska." She finally said. I nodded and stood up.

"I'll get Rose ready to go to Potter's." I went upstairs and gave her a bath then dressed her in a white onesie that said 'Daddy's Loves Me' in purple letters and a pair of jeans. I might have been biased, but I had decided that she was the most adorable thing on the planet. When I was done dressing her, I took her downstairs to find Hermione sitting on the couch, ready to go, and ready her new copy of 'Hogwarts: A History' for the 5th time. She smiled up at us and set her book down. "Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded and headed for the door. Once outside she apparated to Potter Cottage. I followed with Rose moments later to see her running into the house and down the hall to the bathroom.

"Pregnant women," Potter said, coming into the hallway. "It's always something with them." He rolled his eyes and motioned for me to follow him into the living room. I glanced down the hall and saw Hermione walking back down towards us.

"Sorry. Floo makes me sick." She took Rose from my arms and I followed her into the living room. Potter and Ginny sat on one couch, Teddy between them, and Weasley sat in an armchair, a blonde haired girl on his lap. She looked vaguely familiar and Potter confirmed my suspicion moments later.

"You both remember Luna Lovegood, from Hogwarts."

"It's good to see you again, Luna." Hermione said smiling at the girl.

"You too, Hermione. You as well, I suppose. I hear you're not the git you once were." She said nodding to me. She seemed to have lost a bit of her weirdness, though she was currently staring vacantly into space and her voice was still light and airy at least she was dressed normally.

"Yeah, don't believe the rumors." I told her, sitting down on the unoccupied couch with Hermione and Rose. Potter cleared his throat.

"We're just waiting for the rest of the Weasley's to get here." He said. Hermione was looking at Ginny curiously. She gasped suddenly and set Rose in my lap. She stood up quickly and pulled Ginny out of the room.

"What was that about?" I asked, looking out the doorway to the living room.

"No idea." Potter said quickly, a little too quickly.

"Liar," I muttered under my breath.

"She's pregnant." Luna said, still staring into space.

"Err, yeah. Hermione's pregnant." I said.

"No." Luna shook her head quickly and looked at me, her head cocked to the side. "They both are."

"What?" Ron exclaimed, speaking for the first time. "Ginny's pregnant?" He was glaring daggers at Potter.

"Yes, I am Ronald. And it's not anything to get mad over! I'm out of school." Ginny said coming back into the room. Hermione was beaming behind her.

"We get to be pregnant together!" Hermione said excitedly. "She's a little further than me though." Hermione shrugged and sat down.

The rest of the Weasley's arrived not long after and when everyone was settled at the table in the back yard, both Hermione and Ginny announced that they were pregnant. As it turns out, Hermione left out a bit of information. Not only was Ginny further along but she was also having boys. Three of them. Wouldn't life be fun for them? Four boys running around the house. I groaned at the thought.

I finished Auror training a week before the wedding and was due to start work in two months. Mother was already setting up for the wedding and owling everyone to be sure if they were coming or not. Hermione's mum and dad were taking the next week off to help with setting up the wedding. It was the first time I had met her parents formally. Her father, Ted, had curly dark blonde hair and blue eyes while her mother, Helen, had straight brown hair and brown eyes. They were both a bit apprehensive about the wedding, having heard about me during our school years. They were nice enough though, wanting to support their only daughter. Hermione had an older brother named Travis, which surprised me as I had never heard anything about him. He traveled a lot but he would be here the day before the wedding to support his sister.

I came home on the last day of Auror training to find Hermione crying on the couch. I dropped my bag on the floor and quickly crossed the room to her.

"'Mione? What's wrong?" I asked. I pulled her towards me and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"R-Rosie's dress ripped!" She exclaimed. "They w-won't be able to make another b-before the wedding!" She took a deep breath and sobbed into my chest. I sighed.

"It's okay, love. We'll buy another." She sat up and glared at me.

"NO! I wanted her to have that one! The only one close to it is purple and white!"

"Is it the same style?" She nodded, staring at the floor. "Just buy that one and charm the colors to white and blue." I suggested. She looked at me for a few moments.

"Why didn't I think of that?" She said finally. I smiled and stood up.

"Because you're pregnant and hormonal." I kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to take a shower." I told her. After showering, I got out and flooed to the wizarding travel agency. I arranged to get a cross- continental apparation card to and from Alaska and then apparated to the Anchorage wizarding travel agency.

"Welcome to Anchorage. My name is Amanda. Is there anything I can help you with?" A woman asked when I arrived. She was dressed in a boring grey suit with her black hair pulled up in a pony tail and glasses covering her almost black eyes. The American accent sounded a bit strange.

"I'm planning my honeymoon. Are there any specific cities you would recommend." The woman led me over to a desk and handed me a list of the best cities in the state, complete with descriptions and photos.

"We have many wonderful cities. I wouldn't suggest Anchorage for a honeymoon though. Maybe Kenai, Juneau, Homer, Soldotna, or something like that." I nodded and flipped through the papers. "Once you decide, you can come back here and we'll set up anything you need, hotels, tours and the like."

"Thank you." She sat down behind the desk and turned a muggle contraption on.

"What's your name?" She asked, pressing small squares quickly.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Can you spell that?"

"D-r-a-c-o M-a-l-f-o-y." She asked me some other questions, where I was from, what date we would be coming, etc., pressing squares the whole time.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy," She said finally. "We look forward to seeing you again. Like I said, once you decide where you'd like to go come on back and we'll set everything up for you. Although, where ever you go, I would highly recommend driving as the scenery here is breathtaking."

"Driving?" I asked.

"You must be a pureblood. Driving is a muggle thing. It takes longer but it's well worth it here. Talk it over with your fiancé and we'll talk about it later." I nodded, got up and apparated back home.

"Hermione?" I called out when I walked through the door.

"In the kitchen!" She called back. I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table.

"What's driving?" I asked.

"Driving is… how do I explain this?" She paused for a moment and turned around to face me. "Muggles have things called cars. Driving is what you do with them. It's a form of transportation." I frowned.

"It sounds strange to me." I told her. I held out the papers to her. "Here's a list of some cities in Alaska. Pick one and then I'll go set everything up." She came over and took the papers from me. She sat down at the table and started flipping through them.

"Kenai looks nice. Or maybe Homer. Homer is right on the ocean. We could go fishing." I nodded.

"I like fishing." She looked up at me surprised.

"You like fishing?"

"Yes." She laughed and shook her head.

"Wow. Draco Malfoy fishes. That's strange."

"So Homer?" I asked, ignoring her smart-ass comment. She nodded, still laughing.

"Homer, Alaska."

The next day, I went back to the Alaska wizarding travel agency. We had decided to find a cabin rather than a hotel and to rent a vehicle. Hermione had chosen the car since she had a license and I didn't.

"Hello again, Mr. Malfoy. How I can I help you today?" Amanda asked when I got there.

"I need to make reservations and such." I told her. She led me to her desk and I sat down.

"In which city?" She started pressing the little squares again.

"Homer." I told her, watching her hands with a frown. "What are you doing?" I finally asked. She looked up and smiled.

"It's called a computer." She said. "I'm entering data into it so I can set up your honeymoon. It's much faster than owls." She smiled and went back to pushing the little squares, which I could now see had letters and numbers on them. "Ok." She said. "Did you want a car?"

"Yes. My fiancé wants a 2007 Chevy Cobalt, whatever that is." I shrugged.

"Any particular color?"

"Ummm, purple I suppose. It's her favorite color." Amanda nodded and continued to press the numbers and letters.

"Did you want cabins, a hotel, or a bed and breakfast?" She continued to ask questions like this until she had all the information needed. We were booked at the Spruce Acre Cabins on Sterling Highway starting on August 29. Our check-in time was 5pm. We were planning on leaving early in the morning on the 29th and driving from there. Apparently, it was a good 4.5 -5 hour drive but Amanda assured me that the land on the way was beautiful. Until we could check in Hermione wanted to walk down the Spit, which was a piece of land that jutted out from Homer. From the air it looked like a giant lugi. But there were a bunch of shops and such that she wanted to visit.

Before we could go fishing, we had to get fishing licenses and Derby tickets. We found a fishing tour that was owned by a couple named Erica and John. They also rented out boats so you could fish on your own but they warned you not to unless you were an advanced fisher and knew the waters. We would be able to fish for halibut, rainbow trout, silver salmon and pink salmon.

We had a packet of muggle papers explaining a bunch of things that we could do like visiting the wildlife refuges and taking a water taxi over to see the glaciers. We could even rent something called a 4-wheeler and go down to the beach. I think Hermione was more excited about the honeymoon than she was about the wedding.

_Author's note: I'm excited about writing about the honeymoon. I grew up in Homer, Alaska so I figured I would write about something I know :) I know that the last few chapters haven't had much action, but rest assured, action is coming!_


	7. The Wedding Of My Life

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 7 – The Wedding of My Life**

It's amazing how different this wedding is compared to my last one. The wedding with Astoria had been big and overdone with people we didn't even know and horrible colors. This wedding was simple and beautiful with only our friends and family and although I had my doubts about blue and yellow they actually went together quite nicely. Rosie's dress had been taken care of and it looked perfect. It was the morning of and I was sweating bullets. I still had a good 3 hours before I had to get ready but Hermione and Rosie had already been whisked away to prepare. That left me to amble about the Manor pretending to be calm and happy. I glanced out the back doors that led to the garden to find Potter playing Teddy.

"Oi, Potter! You should go check on Hermione and tell me how she's doing." I told him, walking over.

"I tried. They won't let me in." Potter laughed.

"Damn women. Do you know who's in there?"

"Your mum, Hermione's mum, Ginny, Luna, Mrs. Weasley and Hermione."

"Where's Hermione's dad and brother?"

"Her dad is in the dining room with your dad, Mr. Weasley and Kingsley and I'm not sure where her brother is. I haven't met him yet." He shrugged. "Have you seen Ron?"

"Last time I saw him he was in the sitting room with the rest of the Weasleys playing exploding snap." He nodded and excused himself.

"You must be Draco." I heard a voice behind me and turned around. A man about my height stood behind me. He looked a few years older than me with straight brown hair and blue eyes.

"Yes. And you are?" I asked politely.

"I'm Travis." He held out a hand to me, which I took.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Our hands dropped and we stood there awkwardly. What were you supposed to say to your future brother-in-law? "Nice place you have here." Travis said suddenly. "Is this where you'll be living?"

"No. We have a house in Faversham."

"That's good. This place is a bit big for my tastes." I laughed.

"I've always thought that as well." Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. Ginny handed Rosie to me.

"Don't you dare get her dress dirty or Hermione will kill you in your sleep." I nodded, trying to look scared. "Travis, you can come up and see her if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much. Nice to meet you Draco." He nodded to me and followed Ginny up the stairs. I sighed, wishing I could see her. I trudged up the stairs to my study and played with Rose on the floor for a while. There was a knock on my door and father came in, looking suprised.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" He asked. I looked down at my jeans and white t-shirt.

"I thought this was what I was wearing." I told him sarcastically.

"You have less than two hours before your wedding. You need to go get ready." I glanced at the clock, shocked that so much time had passed. Father picked up Rose and told me once again to go get ready. I went to my room and took a quick shower then pulled on my new dress robes. I dried my hair and styled it. I usually wore it down now without any product in it, as I did today, though every now and then I'd get nostalgic and slick it back. When I was ready, I glanced at the clock and rushed out of the room having five minutes to get down to the garden. Kingsley stood at the altar again, ready to perform the ceremony, and people were filling up the seats. I glanced through the rows as I stood at the front on the right side of the altar under a canopy of weeping willows. Mother and father walked down the aisle together when everyone was seated and sat on the right side of the seating, followed by Mrs. Granger and Travis who sat on the left. The music started and Potter came down the aisle with Luna. When they were halfway down, Weasley stepped around the hedge with Rosie, who was throwing flowers everywhere, and Teddy walking at his side carrying a small pillow with our matching rings. Potter and Luna got to the altar stepped to the right and left as a groomsman and bridesmaid. As they reached the altar, Ginny and Blaise Zabini started their walk. Weasley reached the Altar and stood to the right with Potter then Ginny and Blaise, as the Maid of Honor and Best man stepped to the left and right.

There was a short pause in the music and then it started up again. Everyone turned towards the hedge opening expectantly. The music continued to play but Hermione was nowhere in sight. I looked over at Ginny and frowned.

"Cut the music please." Ginny muttered to Kingsley. The music stopped. "I'll be right back." She handed her bouquet to Potter and walked back down the aisle. The next few moments were agony as I shifted from foot to foot nervously. Blaise laid a hand on my shoulder.

"It's ok, mate." He said.

"She probably just had a bit of morning sickness." Potter added. I nodded, wiping my sweating palms on my dress robes. Ginny came back through the hedge opening and nodded. She reached the altar and took her bouquet from Potter. The music started up again and a few moments later, Hermione and her father came through the opening. I let out a sigh of relief and smiled at her. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was down and curled into rings at the bottom. Yellow and blue flowers were strung into her hair and instead of a veil, she wore a silver tiara that I recognized as mothers. Her dress was simple and beautiful, just like her. It was strapless and mostly white. The bottom of the dress had blue swirls going up the dress, fading into light blue and then white. I glanced over at Rosie and realized that their dresses were, in fact, identical. Hermione reached me and I held out my hand to her. Mr. Granger kissed her on the cheek, placed her hand in mine and then sat down in the front row on the left next to Mrs. Granger and Travis.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Draco Adrian Malfoy, and this woman, Hermione Jean Granger, in matrimony." Kingsley said.

"Where were you?" I whispered to her.

"Baby didn't like breakfast this morning." She whispered back, smiling. I nodded and Kingsley turned to me.

"Draco Adrian Malfoy, do you take Hermione Jean Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"

"I do." I said firmly. Kingsley repeated it for Hermione.

"I do." She said smiling up at me. I never wanted this moment to end. It was too perfect.

"Draco, you may begin your vows now." Kingsley said. I took a deep breath and began.

"Hermione. First off, let me say that I love you. You and Rosie are my world." Hermione glanced behind me and smiled at Rose. She looked back at me and I continued. "The best part of my day is waking up to your face in the morning and lying beside you every night. You're an amazing woman. You have a bigger heart than anyone I've ever known. You were the first to forgive me for everything that happened when we were younger and I thank you for that. I made a lot of bad choices when I was younger. But I don't regret them because I know that a lifetime of choices brought me here today and I wouldn't change that for anything." Hermione was softly crying by the time I was done.

"Hermione, you may begin your vows now." Kingsley said, shaking me out of my own little world. Hermione sniffed and took a deep breath.

"Draco," She began. "You're still the arrogant ferret that I went to school with." Several people in the crowd chuckled. "But you're right. A lifetime of choices brought us here and I wouldn't change anything about the past either. Just the thought of being without you and Rosie is unbearable. I love my life with you more than I ever thought possible and knowing that I'll be waking up with you every morning makes me happier than I could ever express." Tears were flowing free down her face and I reached out and wiped them away, smiling at her.

"Do you have the rings?" Kingsley asked. I turned to Teddy and he handed me the little white pillow. I unhooked the rings from it and turned back around to hand Hermione mine. "Draco, repeat after me. I, Draco Malfoy,"

"I, Draco Malfoy." He instructed me what to say and I repeated it word for word. "Give this ring to you, Hermione Granger, as a symbol of our never ending love. I promise to love, honor and cherish you as long as we both shall live." I slipped the ring on her left hand ring finger, above her engagement ring. He told Hermione to repeat after him and she followed along, tears still streaming down her face. When she was done she slipped the ring on my finger and Kingsley continued.

"If anyone objects to this joining, speak now." Kingsley said. There was a pause and then Kingsley said the words I had been waiting to hear for the past month. "With this kiss the marriage is final. You may now kiss the bride." I pulled Hermione into my arms and pressed my lips to hers. The sound of claps faded into the background as we kissed. I felt Hermione smile against my lips and I could taste the salt from her tears. I pulled away and smiled down at her. I turned to Weasley and took Rose from him. "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy and their daughter Rose Marie Malfoy!" I took Hermione's hand and we walked back down the aisle to the dining room followed by Blaise, Ginny, Potter, Luna, Weasley and Teddy.

Dinner went by quickly with several people coming up to congratulate us. Potter stood up and clicked his fork against his glass. The glass broke, spilling champagne everywhere, and he turned red.

"Oops." He laughed. "Umm, I know it's only supposed to be the best man, maid of honor and parents to say toasts but I'd like to as well if that's ok."

"You have every right Harry." Hermione said, smiling at her best friend. Potter nodded and cleared his throat.

"A few years ago, if you would have told me that my best friend was going to be married to Draco Malfoy, I would have said they were completely off their rocker. I'm not sure why no one noticed before though. They really are perfect for each other and I'm very happy for them both. Hermione, Ferret, Congratulations." Several people laughed. I squeezed Hermione's hand under the table and she smiled over at me. Blaise stood up next.

"I've known Draco since we were toddlers. He has always been very indecisive and he wasn't a very happy kid or teenager. But I think that today may be the happiest I've ever seen him and I don't think he's ever been more sure about anything. Hermione, I'm not sure what you did to him but whatever it is, keep doing it. Draco is like a brother to me and I like seeing him happy." He sat down and father pushed his chair out to stand up until the front door banged open and Astoria strode into the room. Everyone stared at her in shock as she strode up to the front table. I stood up quickly and stepped in front of Hermione and Rose.

"This is what you left me for?" Astoria screeched. Everyone at the front table were on their feet as well as several people at the smaller tables. "A good-for-nothing muggle born and snot-nosed half-blood brat?" I placed my hands on the table and leaned towards her.

"Don't you ever insult them again. Hermione is more of a witch than you'll ever be. And that snot-nosed half-blood brat happens to be my daughter. Yes, I left you. And it's a good thing I did because you were never fit to be a Malfoy, you money-grubbing whore. Now get the bloody hell out of here or I'll have you thrown out!" She glared at me, staying where she was. "Potter, you're the Auror here. Get her the hell out of here."

"I've got it Mr. Malfoy." Came Kingsley's deep, reassuring voice. He stepped up behind Astoria and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"You'll regret this Draco. I swear you will." Astoria hissed. Kingsley dragged her out of the dining room.

"May I make my toast now?" Father said. I took Hermione's hand and sat back down, nodding. "Thank you. After my sons last wedding, I had a lot to think about." Father started. "I didn't want to lose him and forcing him to marry the woman that was just escorted out would have caused just that. As it was, I almost did lose him. Thankfully, Cissa talked some sense into me. I never thought that I would be proud to call Hermione Granger my daughter-in-law but I am. She's a wonderful woman and an extremely talented witch. But most of all, she makes my son happy and that's all that matters." He turned to face Hermione and continued. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me. And thank you, also, for my beautiful granddaughter. Welcome to the family." He gave a small smile, which she returned, and he sat down. Ginny stood up next.

"Ever since I've known Hermione she's been like the sister I always wanted. I grew up in a house with six brothers so it was refreshing to have Hermione around so much. Her and Harry really became part of the family and most of us had hopes that her and Ron would marry so they could really be part of the family." She paused. "Instead, of one more family member, we have two. I'll always consider Hermione a sister. And even though I already have five brothers, I've come to see Draco as a brother as well. What Harry said was right. We were all crazy not to notice how perfect they are for each other." She sat down and Mr. and Mrs. Granger stood up.

"Our toast will be short, I promise. Draco, thank you for taking care of our daughter and granddaughter. We were both a bit apprehensive about this whole thing." He paused and Mrs. Granger took over.

"But now that we can see how happy Hermione is with you we don't have any doubts that you will make her happy." They both sat down and father stood up again.

"A toast to the new Malfoy's." He raised his glass and everyone copied him, Potter had gotten a new glass and raised his as well. "May they be happy and healthy."

"And give us more grandchildren!" Mother added quickly. Everyone laughed and took a sip of their champagne.

"If I could have everyone's attention, we're going to do the couple's first dance." Came a voice from the corner. Everyone turned to see the DJ all set up and sticking a disk in the muggle contraption. I picked up Rosie and handed her to father then held out my hand to Hermione.

"Would you like to dance, Mrs. Malfoy?" I asked, smiling. She nodded and stood up, taking my hand. The song started and we swayed to the music. I softly sung the lyrics in Hermione's ear and she started crying again.

"_Our love is unconditional, we knew it from the start.  
I see it in your eyes, you can feel it from my heart.  
From here on after let's stay the way we are right now,  
And share all the love and laughter  
That a lifetime will allow._

I cross my heart and promise to  
Give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.  
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.

You will always be the miracle that makes my life complete,  
And as long as there's a breath in me, I'll make yours just as sweet.  
As we look into the future, it's as far as we can see,  
So let's make each tomorrow be the best that it can be.

I cross my heart and promise to  
Give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.  
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.

And if along the way we find a day it starts to storm,  
You've got the promise of my love to keep you warm.  
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine,  
A love as true as mine._"_

"I love you, Hermione." I told her softly.

"I love you too, Draco. So much." She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. When she pulled back, I led her back to the table. We sat at the table with Rose for a few songs until the DJ told everyone to get up.

"I know it's been a while since it happened but the bride requested a song to remember the fighters who died in this last war." He stuck a disk in the player and the song started. I looked around to find a lot of people crying already. We danced with Rose in between us. Potter and Ginny were beside us with Teddy in between them and Weasley and Luna were on our other side. I listened to the lyrics.

"_Got the news on Friday mornin'  
But a tear I couldn't find  
You showed me how I'm supposed to live  
And now you showed me how to die  
I was lost till Sunday mornin'  
I woke up to face my fear  
While I'm writing you this goodbye song  
I found a tear_

I'm gonna miss that smile  
I'm gonna miss you my friend  
Even though it hurts the way it ended up  
I'd do it all again  
So play it sweet in heaven  
'Cause that's right where you wanna be  
I'm not crying 'cause I feel so sorry for you  
I'm crying for me_"_

We danced through the song and Hermione cried through the whole thing. The song ended and I placed a finger under her chin.

"If it was going to make you cry, why did you have him play it?" I asked. She shrugged.

"They need to be remembered. Tonks, Lupin, Fred, Dumbledore just because it upsets us doesn't mean we should forget them." I nodded and kissed her on the forehead.

"May I cut in, Malfoy?" I turned, nodded to Potter and took Rosie back to the table. Hermione and Potter talked while they danced and then my father cut in.

"Let's dance, Dragon." Mother stood next to me, watching Hermione and father dance. I nodded and asked Potter to watch Rose for a moment. The song we danced to made mother cry and I'll admit that I was a bit chocked up as well. The lyrics went something like this;

"_Big wheels, hot wheels  
Little trucks and cars  
Skinned knees, climbing trees  
Wishing on the stars  
Moments may be lost somewhere in time  
But the sweetest memories are never left behind  
Now you've grown so fine  
And come so far…_

I'm so proud of who you are  
The man you've become  
Thrilled to share your deepest joy  
To know you've found the one  
For the great things you will do  
I'll be blessed 'cause you're my son  
But I'll always see the boy  
In the man you've become._"_

I returned to the table to sit with Hermione and Rosie until the last songs came on.

"These last two songs were requested by the bride and groom for their daughter." Hermione and I got up and went to the middle of the dance floor with Rose between us. Despite the late hour, she was wide awake. "This one is from the mother." I listened curiously, having not heard the song yet.

"_I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,  
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,  
May you never take one single breath for granted,  
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,  
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,  
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens,  
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,  
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance._

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,  
Never settle for the path of least resistance  
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',  
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',  
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,  
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,  
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,  
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.  
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.  
Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,  
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,  
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,  
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,  
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance....I hope you dance.  
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.  
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..  
Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along  
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone._"_

I could hear several people around us commenting on what a cute idea it was to involve Rose in the dances. Rose was nestled against my chest and almost asleep when the last song started.

"This one is to Rose from her father, Draco."

"_I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,  
And each road leads you where you want to go,  
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,  
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.  
And if one door opens to another door closed,  
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,  
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,_

But more than anything, more than anything,  
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,  
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,  
You never need to carry more than you can hold,  
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,  
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,  
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,  
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,  
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,  
And you help somebody every chance you get,  
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,  
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,  
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,  
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,  
You never need to carry more than you can hold,  
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,  
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,  
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,  
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,  
You never need to carry more than you can hold,  
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,  
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,  
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish  
I hope you know somebody loves you  
May all your dreams stay big"

"Always remember that Rosie." I whispered to my daughter. "Never settle for anything less than your dreams. Dream big sweetie." I kissed her on the forehead. I handed her over to Hermione and walked over to the DJ. "May I borrow that?" I asked, pointing to the muggle microphone in his hand. He nodded and handed it to me. "Hermione and I would like to thank everyone for coming. We hope you had a great time and we'll see you all later." I handed the Microphone back to him and went back to Hermione so we could leave. She was saying her good bye's to everyone.

"We'll bring Rosie by in the morning." She told Potter, giving him an awkward one-armed hug due to Rose and Teddy.

"No problem. We'll be awake." He replied. We left the dining room, saying goodbye to everyone on the way out and walked out through the gates.

"So? Was it everything you wanted?" I asked. She yawned and nodded.

"Yes, it was." I pulled her and Rose into my arms.

"Good." I kissed them both on the cheeks and apparated home.


	8. Homer, Alaska

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

**Chapter 8 – Homer, Alaska**

"Wake up, love." I said softly. It was 11am. I kissed Hermione on the cheek and pulled my shirt over my wet hair. She stretched and rubbed her eyes.

"What time is it?" She asked, yawning.

"Time to get up and go on our Honeymoon." I replied. I left the room and went to wake up Rose. She was awake, lying in her crib with her feet in her mouth. "Good morning foot breath." I said, wrinkling my nose. "You need a nappie change." She took her feet out of her mouth and smiled up at me. I reached down and picked her up. I heard the shower turn on, I got Rose dressed and changed and then went down stairs to make breakfast.

Back in school, I never pictured myself as the family man. But now that I had a family of my own, I wouldn't have it any other way. I loved doing things for Hermione and Rose, like cook breakfast, run to the store for nappies and milk, things like that.

As soon as breakfast was done, Hermione came down from her shower dressed in maternity jeans and a loose t-shirt. She didn't really need the maternity jeans yet, she just claimed they were more comfortable than her regular jeans.

"That smells delicious." She said, taking Rose from my arms.

"Pancakes, bacon and eggs." I told her, setting a plate in front of her. I mixed up some baby cereal for Rose and started feeding her, while eating my breakfast. There was a _tap tap tap_ at the window and I got up to get the Daily Prophet. On the front page was a picture of Hermione and I at our wedding. I tossed that paper at her. "So much for no press." I told her. She frowned at the paper for a moment before tossing it in the garbage behind her.

We finished breakfast, grabbed our bags, and apparated to Godric's Hollow.

"Ginny, Ron Harry?" Hermione called as we stepped into the house.

"Hey 'Mione." Ginny said, coming out of the kitchen. "The boys are still asleep."

"Figures." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. I handed Ginny Rose's bags.

"The black one is nappies, you should have more than enough, and the purple one is clothes and stuff. If you need anything else feel free to go to our house and get it." I told her. She nodded and went to put the bags in the living room. "Where is she going to be sleeping?" I asked when she came back.

"Hermione's old room. Her crib is still in there." Ginny explained. I nodded and took Rose from Hermione.

"You be good for Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry." Hermione said. Rose just grinned around her thumb. I kissed her on the forehead.

"Love you, princess." I handed her to Ginny.

"Has she had anything to eat today?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, we gave her some cereal this morning. There's baby food and cereal and all that in the purple bag. And-"

"Calm down." Ginny said. "She'll be fine. I'm sure we can find everything just fine without a map. You guys just have a good time." I nodded. Hermione gave Ginny a hug and thanked her, then we headed to the wizarding travel agency and apparated to the Anchorage port.

"Welcome back Mr. Malfoy. You're here early. This must be Mrs. Malfoy?" Amanda said when we arrived.

"Yes. This is my wife." I grinned at the word. "What time is it here?"

"It's 5am." Hermione groaned. "Everything's all set up. You're car is full of gas and ready to go." Amanda said. She handed me some pieces of metal and a stared at them curiously. Hermione took them from me and laughed at my expression.

"They're keys, honey. They start the car." Hermione said. Amanda led us to the front door and the vehicle was sitting out front.

"Have a good trip. The car is due back here on September 5th." Amanda said. We nodded and loaded out things in what Hermione called the 'boot of the car'.

"Well, this will be interesting." Hermione said, getting in the car.

"Interesting? Why?" I asked.

"Well, in America people drive on the right side of the road and the left side of the car. In Europe, it's the other way around." She stuck the metal thing in a slot and turned it. The car started and scared the living daylights out of me. She laughed at my jump and started moving the car.

The ride was okay, for the first few seconds. When Hermione got on the main road though, the car went faster and I felt sick. The car ride was a total of 5 hours and 52 minutes. Not that I was counting. It only took so long because I made Hermione take lots of breaks so I could get out of the blasted car. I decided right then and there that I hated Muggle transportation.

The scenery _was_ beautiful, there was no doubt about it. But the mix of the vehicle and the water on the side of the road was entirely too much. I felt extremely relieved when we finally reached Homer at 11am. We had two hours until we could check in so we went around town, at a very slow speed, and looked at all the shops. Hermione was making a list of places she wanted to visit and shop at. We ended up on the Spit in a restaurant called Glacier Drive-in.

After paying, I went to sit down at a table. The walls around sitting area were glass and offered a good view of the beach and the ocean. Hermione came down with a plastic tray. I picked up one of the things wrapped in white paper stuff and sniffed it. Hermione laughed.

"Just eat it." She said. "I'm pretty sure it won't kill you." I took a bite and almost moaned.

"This is bloody fantastic!" I told her. She took her own bite and smiled.

"It is quite good." She replied.

"Good? Good? This is not good! It's absolutely amazing!" I quickly finished my sandwich, picked up the red and white cup and took a drink. "What is this?"

"Chocolate milkshake." She replied.

"I love American food." I said seriously. She laughed and pushed a paper bag of something towards me. Without asking what it was, it pulled out what looked like a soft stick and stuck it in my mouth.

"Their called French fries here. In Europe they're called-"

"Chips." I finished for her, pulling another out of the bag. She nodded. After we finished eating we headed to the cabins and checked in. The cabin was small and homey with a queen sized bed, a small dining table, a microwave and refrigerator, a TV with cable, and a small loo with a shower, sink and toilet. The view from outside the cabin was spectacular. The cabins were set on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with Mt. McKinley in the background.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Hermione said, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

"It is. I'm glad you chose to come here." I replied. "It's very… What's the word?"

"Peaceful?"

"Yes. I suppose that's it." We went back into the cabin and Hermione wanted to take a nap. I laid in bed with her for a while and watched her sleep, glad I could finally call her mine.

Hermione woke up around 5pm and we got up and went to dinner at the Caribou Family Restaurant in Anchor Point, which was a tiny town in between the cabins and Homer. When we were done, we drove down to the beach and watched the sunset. We sat on top of the car, her head rest on my shoulder and mine rested on top of her head and our hand intertwined.

"Hermione?" I said.

"Hmm?" She replied.

"Are you happy with how things turned out?" I asked.

"No." I frowned and lifted my head to look at her. She smiled, not looking at me. "I'm not happy. I'm thrilled." She lifted her head and smiled at me. "I wouldn't change anything about my life right now. I love you more than I ever thought possible."

"Which isn't saying much considering you hated me in school." I joked. She shook her head and laughed.

"I always had a bit of a crush on you in school. It was the only reason I stayed in the Room or Requirement that night. I suppose I should rephrase my answer. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone."

"That's good." She laid her head back on my shoulder. "Because I feel the same about you."

We spent the whole next day shopping. Hermione dragged me to one store and then another and another. We went everywhere from grocery stores to tourist shops. Hermione insisted on buying things for everyone back home. We bought Potter and Weasley Alaskan candy, which was really just different types of chocolate and regular candy that said Alaska on it. We bought Ginny a crystal necklace that when held in the sunlight displayed colors close to the Northern lights. For the rest of the Weasleys we bought various knickknacks.

We found t-shirts for Hermione's parents and mum that said Homer, Alaska and Hermione found a shirt for her brother that said 'Homer, Alaska a quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem'. On a whim, I bought father a walking stick with a silver bald eagle head on the top, knowing he probably wouldn't use it. We also bought everyone a box of smoked salmon, which was quite good.

Hermione wanted to go to the bookstore, of course. She found a book on the history of Homer and a book about a woman named Jewel Kilcher. She had grown up in Homer and had become a famous singer. She found a book about the Eagle Lady that was signed by said Eagle Lady. Her real name was Jean Keene. She had lived on the Spit and fed the eagles. She had passed away last January.

"This place is full of history!" Hermione said, her nose already stuck in a book. "Did you know that people used to come here from all over the world to pan for gold?"

"You don't say." I said, lifting an eyebrow. She glared at me.

"Fine. Don't be interested in it." She returned to her book. We went to a farmers market and a few other shops. We found an Eskimo doll for Rose and a book about Alaskan animals for Teddy.

"It's never too early to learn to read." Hermione said firmly. Hermione took some money from me and went and bought me something but she wouldn't tell me what it was, so I did the same to her. I found a beautiful little book mark with a glass forget-me-not flower on it that I knew she would love. We finally returned to the cabin for a good night's rest after a full day of shopping.

The next day, we went to some wildlife parks. It was wholly unexciting. We saw a bunch of caribou and deer and moose, one black bear, and a few wolves. Hermione wanted to rent a four-wheeler and go down to the beach but I completely dismissed the idea, the thought of another vehicle, with no enclosures, bumping over rocks and sand made me feel sick. Instead, she settled with driving to the beach and walking along it. While we talked about possible names.

"I've always liked the name Adrian." I told her. "It's very fitting for a Malfoy."

"What about Andrew? Or Zachary?" She said.

"Andrew? No. Zachary? Maybe."

"What about for a girl?"

"I highly doubt we'll have another girl. Boys run in the family." I told her firmly.

"But what if we were to have a girl?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No. I'm just curious." I frowned.

"_If_ we were to have another girl, I like the names Violet and Astra. Or Isabella, Maya, Cara, or Astraea."

"Thought about this a lot have you?" She said, laughing.

"Yes. I have actually. The Black family is big on star names." I shrugged.

"Well, no to Astra, Maya, and Astraea. And I already have one child named after a flower so no to Violet as well. Isabella and Cara and nice though. What about Sophie?"

"Sophie?" I asked.

"Yes, it means wisdom." She replied. I snorted.

"Yes. She'll have a lot of that with you as her mother." She smacked my arm.

I dragged Hermione fishing with me the next day. We met the couple that rented out boats. They had four children and a huge white and black Siberian Husky that Hermione adored.

"Hi puppy." Hermione cooed when we got out the car. The dog barked and waggled over to her. Hermione played with the dog and I went up and knocked on the door. A woman opened the door. She looked to be around 30 with long dark brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail and a baby of about 3 on her hip. The baby had light brown hair and blue eyes and another little girl with the same features stood behind her. There were 4 puppies running around in the kitchen behind them.

"Hi can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Yes. Are you the woman that rents out fishing boats?" I asked. The woman nodded.

"I'm Erica Neland. It's actually my husband John that rents them out but while he's out of town on construction jobs I run the rentals." She explained. I held my hand out to her.

"I'm Draco Malfoy." She shook my hand then set the baby down and pulled the door shut.

"Do you have any fishing experience?" She asked. I nodded.

"I used to go fishing every summer in England with my mate Blaise." Hermione came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me.

"I want a dog like that, Draco." She said. I smiled.

"This is my wife Hermione. We're on our honeymoon at the moment."

"Congratulations." Erica said. "Nala actually just had puppies if you'd like to take one home with you." Hermione squealed in delight.

"Can we, honey? Rosie would love a puppy!" I laughed.

"Maybe we'll come back and get one before we leave." I told her. She nodded and I turned back to Erica. "How much do you charge for the boats?"

"We charge $50 an hour and they all come with boat trailers."

"Are they motor or row boats?"

"We have both. We'd like for them to be returned by 9pm and a fishing license is required to rent one." I pulled out my wallet and showed her the license I had received this morning. "Great, follow me." We followed her down the drive way to a small graveled area. "Go ahead and pick one out." I started looking around at all the boats. Erica began a conversation with Hermione.

"Is Rosie your daughter?" Erica asked.

"Yeah. Her name is actually Rose but we call her Rosie." Hermione replied.

"How old is she?"

"She's 6 and a half months. She just starting to crawl."

"That's a fun time. I have four kids. Wyatt is turning 15, Brittney just turned 13, Anna is 6 and Molina is 3. And we've got another one on the way." Erica said.

"Us too. How far along are you?"

"I'm 10 weeks. You?"

"14 weeks. I'm due in April." I walked back over to them.

"We'll take the blue one." I told Erica, pointing to the boat I wanted. It was white with various shades of blue. There were two bench seats on the sides with a motor in the back and a small cabin in the front. It sat on a black trailer. Erica nodded and we walked back to her house. It was a pretty good sized house with five bedrooms and two bathrooms. We entered the house and the puppies immediately came running towards us. Hermione sat down on the floor and started playing with them. I rolled my eyes.

"How long will you need it for?" Erica asked, laughing.

"Probably all day." I told her.

"We usually ask for half up front and the rest when you bring it back along with something for collateral."

"What could I use for collateral?"

"A cell phone, an ID, keys, whatever you want." Hermione stood up with a puppy in her arms.

"You can leave me here for collateral." She said.

"I don't think so." I reached in my pocket, pulled out my muggle ID, and handed it to her.

"Do you need help hooking the haul up?" Erica asked.

"I've done it before but thank you. Put the puppy down, love. We'll come back and get one later." Hermione got a sad look on her face and I sighed. "We'll get him when we bring the boat back okay?" Hermione nodded and set the puppy down on the floor. "What time does it get dark here?" Erica laughed.

"Not until around 11 and then it comes back up again a few hours later."

"Well, ok. How much for the boat until 6pm?" I asked. She glanced at the clock that read 9:31am and grabbed what I recognized as a muggle calculator. She punched in a few numbers.

"That's 8 ½ hours. It would usually be $445 but we have a special for over 6 hours that makes it half off. So it'll be $106.25 now and again when you bring it back." I nodded, pulled out my wallet and handed her five 20's, and a 10.

"Keep the change. How much are the puppies?" I asked, nodding my head towards them.

"They're free." She shrugged. "We just need to find them homes. We're only keeping one of them."

"Go pick one out, 'Mione. I guess we can get it now. They do fine on boats right?" Erica nodded.

"They love the boats. We've taken them on a few trips." Hermione went over to the puppies and sat down, studying them.

"How old are they?" I asked.

"They're three months old and they're already potty trained. They'll stand by the door and wait until you let them out. It would be good to get a fence if you don't already have one, though." Hermione picked one up and stood up.

"I want her." She said. The puppy was pretty cute. It was mostly white with a grey head and back and bright blue eyes.

"Alright. Let's get going." I told her. "Thank you, Erica. We'll be back at 6."

"You're welcome. Have fun and be safe." Hermione went and got in the car and drove it over to the graveled area. I hooked up the boat trailer and we headed to the water.

Hermione didn't like the boat ride at all. She spent most of the time lying on the bench in the cabin trying not to get sick and failing. We ended up only spending an hour on the water. It took us an hour to get the boat in the water and another hour to get it out of the water. I didn't catch any fish.

Hermione named her puppy Aleah. She was cute but she had a nasty habit of licking your face first thing in the morning to wake you up. We spent our remaining days either shopping or on the beach. I couldn't wait to get home. We had an appointment the day after we got home and I missed Rosie like crazy.

"Ginny? We're here." Hermione called out. It felt good to be home.

"Kitchen!" Ginny called back. We went into the kitchen to find them eating dinner. "Are you guys hungry?"

"Starved!" I said. "It's been forever since I've had a home cooked meal!" Ok, so I exaggerate a bit. Ginny laughed and got up to get us plates. We had dinner with them than gathered up Rosie and all her stuff and went home.

_Author's Note: I need name ideas for the baby. Both boy and girl names. I want something unique and modern. No flower names please :)_

_R&R Thanks!_


	9. Gone

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View._

_Slight correction, most of this will be written in Draco's POV. It switches to Hermione's POV in this chapter and stays in her POV for the rest of the story._

**Chapter 9 – Gone**

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, would you like to know what your having?" A healer asked as he strode into the room. We both nodded and he flipped open a chart that the nurse had just recorded on. "It's boys." He said, looking up from the chart. Hermione squealed in delight.

"Boys?" I asked, incredulously. I hoped off the bed and walked over to the doctor. "Are you sure there hasn't been some mistake? Malfoy's never have twins."

"I'm quite sure, Mr. Malfoy." The Healer replied.

"Twin boys?"

"Yes, twin boys!" Hermione shouted from behind me. I turned around to see that she was extremely angry. She strode past me and out of the room.

"Thank you, Healer." I said. I followed her silently down the hall to the lifts. When we got into the lifts, I pulled her towards me and kissed her neck. "We're having twins." I said softly. She pushed me away.

"I'm sorry if you're disappointed with that fact." She said, angrily. I pulled her back towards me and wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm just surprised is all." I told her. "I'm thrilled. We were expecting one but we got two." She looked up at me.

"Really?" She asked. I smiled at her.

"Really, really."

Hermione was getting more and more pregnant by the day. And to me, she was never more beautiful than when she was pregnant. She was now 20 weeks pregnant and showing quite a bit. We were working on decorating the nursery for the boys when Potter came over in a panic.

"Malfoy! Hermione!" He called, bardging through the front door.

"Stay here." I told Hermione hurriedly. I sprinted down the stairs and skidded to a halt. "What is it Potter?"

"There was an attack on Diagon Alley. They need all available Aurors there. Now!" Without another word, he turned and ran out of the house, disapperating away. I sprinted back up the stairs.

"I've gotta go, love." I told her, giving her a quick kiss.

"But… What happened?" She asked.

"Attack on Diagon Alley. I'll be back soon. I love you!" I called, sprinting back down the stairs. I flew out the door and apparated to Diagon Alley. The scene was a mess, buildings were blasted apart everywhere and injured witches and wizards scattered the cobblestone road. The worst sight, however, was the 50 or so Death Eaters at the end of the lane. No wonder they needed Aurors now. A few people broke off of our ranks to try to take the injured to St. Mungo's. That's when the battle ensued.

**(Hermione's POV)**

"Ginny!" I called. She came into the hallway, hands wrapped around her 6 month pregnant stomach.

"Hermione, are you okay? I figured you'd be over here soon." Ginny said. She motioned for me to follow her into the living room. Teddy was playing on the floor with some toys. I set Rose in Teddy's old baby swing and sat down next to Ginny on the couch.

"I'm so worried." I told her. "All Draco said was that there had been an attack on Diagon Alley and then left."

"Harry did the same." Ginny said shrugging. I shivered.

"Nothing like this has happened since the war." I said quietly. Ginny nodded, watching Teddy play. "Do you think it could be starting again? Without Voldemort, obviously."

"I'm not sure. I hope not." Ginny replied. We spent the next few hours playing with Teddy and Rose, talking about what could be going on at Diagon Alley, and worrying. We were sitting down for lunch when an owl flew into the room. Ginny jumped up and took the letter from the owl. She tore it open and scanned the contents quickly, getting paler every second.

"Harry and Ron are at St. Mungo's." She tossed the letter down on the table and ran into the other room. I quickly followed. We grabbed Teddy and Rose and flooed to St. Mungo's. "Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." Ginny said quickly.

"Room 203." The receptionist said without looking up. We walked quickly down the hall and to the lifts. We found the room quickly. It wasn't hard to spot with all the Weasley's standing around in the hallway.

"Ginny! Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley yelled as we came down the hall. She pulled us both into an awkward hug.

"How are they doing mum?" Ginny asked.

"They're both doing fine, thank Merlin." The older woman replied. "Just a few bumps and bruises. They've been asking for you." Ginny nodded. We handed Rose and Teddy to the Weasleys and went into the room. Harry and Ron were sitting up in bed quietly. Harry looked up at me sadly and I stopped in my tracks.

"Hermione, I'm sorry." Harry said quietly. I paused thinking. I hadn't seen Draco out in the hall. There had been nothing in the letter mentioning him.

"Where's Draco?" I whispered.

"We're not sure. When the Death Eaters ran… We couldn't find him, Hermione. I'm sorry."

Time stopped. The room spun around me. I had the sensation of falling and everything went black.

I woke a while later in a hospital bed. Frantically, I lifted the covers and felt my bulging stomach.

"The twins are fine." Said a voice from the corner. I looked over to see Harry gazing out the window that he was sitting in front of. I leaned back against the pillows and closed my eyes, remembering why I was here in the first place.

"He's gone." I whispered, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill over. I heard Harry stand up and walk over to me. He took my hand gently.

"That's not certain." He said, quietly. "We're just… not sure where he is." He said, lamely.

"Where's Rose?" I asked.

"She's with Ginny, at the cottage. I wanted to stay until you woke up." He said. "The doctor's put you on bed rest for a while. They know that you're going to be stressed out and it won't do any good for you to lose the twins." I nodded, not really listening. He smoothed my hair back and kissed my forehead. "I'll be back in the morning with Rose. Try to get some sleep." He squeezed my hand and left me to my thoughts.

'_Where are you Draco?'_ I thought, half hoping he would hear me. _'I can't do this alone.'_ The situation hit me and I turned and started sobbing into my pillow.

They let me out of the hospital a week later. No one had seen or heard from Draco and the Aurors still had no idea of his whereabouts. Ginny came over with Teddy during the day to keep me company and help with Rose.

"Rosie is getting so big!" Ginny said one day. "How old is she now? Seven months?"

"She's a little over 7 months." I told her in a flat voice. "She's crawling everywhere lately." Ginny sighed.

"Hermione, you have to do something about this." She said quietly. "It's not healthy for you or the babies to be depressed. And it affects Rose too." She placed a hand on my arm. "The Aurors are doing everything they can to find him, you know that. You need to-"

"Need to what?" I inturuped her. "Pretend I'm happy and that everything is fine? How would you be if Harry had disappeared? You'd be depressed and worried too." Angrily, I walked over, picked Rose up, and left the room. I walked down the hall to our library and set Rose down on a chair with some toys. I sat down at the desk and picked up a picture of Draco and I at our wedding. I outlined Draco's face with the tip of my finger.

"Come back to me, Draco." I whispered, allowing a few tears to roll down my face. "I can't do this without you. Rosie needs a daddy… And so do these babies." I placed a hand on my protruding stomach and wondered what life would be like with three children and no husband. I was almost 22 weeks along, five and a half months. I sighed and put the picture back on the desk. Three and a half months left. I glanced over to see Rose asleep in the chair. Walking over, I picked her up and headed to her bedroom. I placed her in her crib, kissed her forehead, and went back down to the living room.

"I'm sorry, Ginny." I said, sitting down on the couch. "I just want Draco back home. I'm not sure I can raise three children by myself."

"You won't be by yourself, Hermione. You've got me and Harry to help you. And the whole family. And I'm sure Draco's parents, and yours, will help as well. You're not alone." I smiled over at her sadly.

"I know. But they're going to need a father." I said quietly.

_Knock, knock_

I got up and went over to the door. Pulling it open, I was surprised to see Narcissa and Lucius standing on the front porch.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, it's good to see you." I forced a smiled. "Come on in." I held the door open and they stepped inside.

"Hello Ginny." Narcissa said politely. "I hate to ask, but could you excuse us for a moment?" I shook my head quickly.

"I'll probably just tell her anyway, Mrs. Malfoy." Narcissa _tsk_ed.

"Hermione, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Narcissa." Narcissa and Lucius sat down on the love seat.

"Would either of you like something to drink?" I asked.

"No thank you, dear." Narcissa replied. I nodded and sat back down next to Ginny. "We've come to see if you needed anything? I can imagine it's not easy being by yourself with Rose all day and night." I shrugged.

"It's not so bad." I smiled sadly. "Ginny usually comes over during the day with Teddy."

"That's nice of you." Narcissa said, smiling at Ginny. "Never the less, if you need anything just let us know. And we'd be more than happy to let you and Rosie come stay at the Manor with us. Where is she?"

"She's asleep in her room." I told them. Lucius leaned forward slightly.

"You are more than welcome to come and stay with us until they find Draco." My heart squeezed.

"Do you think they will?" I asked quietly. Lucius nodded.

"It's just a matter of time. Malfoy's have a way of knowing when one of us dies. I can assure you that he is alive." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"We insist that you come and stay after the twins are born, at least for a while." Narcissa continued. "It won't do for you to be alone with twins and a one year old. If you come and stay at the Manor with us I can help you with them. And, of course, Ginny and Harry are more than welcome there as well."

"I'll consider it." I said. "I'm hoping they'll find Draco before the twins get here."

"I've hired a few men to find him myself." Lucius said. "They're private investigators, the best in the business. He will be found, Hermione." He spoke lightly but I could hear the caring tones in his voice.

"Well, we must be going." Narcissa said, standing up. "Please consider our offer. And if you need anything, anything at all, let us know." I stood up, said good-bye's to them and let them out.

Draco had been gone for a month. I started considering looking for a job, until I realized that Draco had enough money in his vault to last lifetimes. At least I had one less thing to worry about. I was seriously considering Narcissa's offer of staying at the Manor. It really would be handy to have help around 24/7 after the twins were born. It was a great help having Ginny over during the days but I knew it would be hard at night alone with two babies and during the day with three. Rosie usually slept through the night but the twins would probably wake her. I finally made up my mind that if Draco wasn't home a month before the twins were due, I would move into the Manor for a few months.

"I feel huge!" I complained to Ginny one day. She laughed.

"You think you're huge? At least you only have two in there. I have three." She said.

"Have you guys picked out names yet?" I asked.

"We're thinking about naming them James Anthony, Remus John and Sirius Lee." Ginny said, turning pink. I laughed.

"Oh you are so in for it if you name them after the Marauders, you know that right? They'll be worse than Fred and George were." I told her.

"Yeah. We know. But that's what Harry wants to name them. What about you? Any name ideas?"

"Draco wanted to name them Dean and Lucas. I'll probably go with those names." I told her, shrugging. I glanced around the room, trying to find something to do, when a pain erupted in my lower abdomen. I cried out in pain.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Ginny asked frantically. Rose started crying.

"Get Harry." I said, gritting my teeth against the pain. She hastily sent her patronus to the Ministry, and Harry. Moments later he burst through the door and ran over to me, Ron right behind him.

"Ron, grab the kids. Come on, 'Mione. We're going to St. Mungo's." The room was spinning on front of me and it was all I could do not to pass out. I tried to focus on breathing. Harry carefully picked me up and walked towards the fireplace. "Ginny, can you toss the powder down for me?" He asked quickly. Ginny grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and tossed it down, stepping back quickly. "St. Mungo's!" Harry cried. The spinning of the fire made me want to vomit and I grabbed onto Harry's neck and buried my face in his chest.

We slid out of the fireplace and Harry walked quickly to the front desk.

"We need a doctor. Now." He said. The receptionist glanced at me and grabbed the muggle microphone on the desk.

"Maternity Healer needed in the waiting room immediately. Maternity Healer needed in the waiting room immediately." She switched the microphone off. "Have a seat. They'll be out in a second." Harry nodded and went to sit down. I looked down at my lap and my heart stopped.

"I'm bleeding." I said quietly. Harry looked down and let out a string of profanities. He carefully set me down on the seat next to his and ran back up to the desk.

"Code red, waiting room! Code red, waiting room!" The receptionist said into the mic. Ginny and Ron arrived with Teddy and Rose and they sat next to me and a moment later Healers came running into the room with a wheelchair. One of the Healers helped me into the chair.

"We need someone to fill out her paperwork." Another Healer said, holding up a clipboard. Ron took the clipboard and sat back down with the kids. Harry and Ginny raced behind us as they brought me to a room.

"Harry!" I called. He was next to me in a second.

"What is it, 'Mione?" He asked gently.

"Contact my parents, Narcissa and Lucius and the Weaseley's." I said, trying to focus on breathing. Harry nodded, kissed me on the forehead, and headed the other way. Ginny caught up with us and grabbed my hand. The wheeled me into a sterile room and helped me up on to the bed. They gave me a bunch of potions and changed me into one of those embarrassing gowns. Harry arrived in the room a moment later.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter but we can only have one person in here during the birth." A Healer told him. He nodded.

"I just wanted to let Hermione know that everyone's here." He turned around and went back to the waiting room. Ginny pulled my hair back and fastened it with a hair tie.

"Did you want someone else in here, 'Mione?" She asked.

"I'd like Draco to be here." I said staring at the ceiling. The pain had gone away, leaving me with a strange tingling feeling throughout the lower half of my body. "But since he's not, I want you here, Gin." I said. She smiled and nodded.

"…a lot of blood." I heard one of the Healer's say. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.

'_Please let the twins be okay. Please. I can't stand loosing Draco and a child.'_ I thought. Ginny squeezed my hand.

"It'll be okay, 'Mione." She said. I shook my head back and forth.

"You don't know that." I whispered back. Healers were rushing around the room and I felt a strange pulling on my lower stomach. A few moments later, weak crying filled the room.

"Baby A." I heard a Healer say. I watched as a Healer rushed out of the room with Dean. A pain erupted through my lower body and I passed out.

I woke later in a new room. Glancing around, I noticed that everyone was in the room with me.

"What happened?" I asked. Everyone turned towards me. Narcissa, Mrs. Weasley and my mum were closest to me.

"You have two beautiful boys." Mrs. Weasley said.

"The second almost didn't make it. He's not entirely out of the water yet but he's a fighter." My mum said, squeezing my hand. I smiled weakly.

"What do they look like?" I asked.

"They both look exactly like Draco when he was born." Narcissa said. I nodded.

"Can someone get me a Healer?" I asked. Lucius strode out of the room. I saw Rose squirming in Ron's arms. "Bring her over here, Ron." He stood up and carried Rose over to my bed, setting her gently next to me. Rose curled up next to me and started playing with a lock of my hair.

"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy? What can I do for you?" A Healer asked, coming into the room.

"When can I see my boys?" I asked, trying to sit up.

"You're still pretty weak from the procedure and we don't want to move the second born just yet as he is still having some problems. I'll have a nurse bring you in some more potions and we'll see how you're doing after that. If the potions improve your health we'll bring in the first born for you to spend some time with." The Healer said. "Unfortunately, until the second born improves you won't be able to see him." I took a deep breath.

"How bad is it?" I asked, prepared for the worst.

"His lungs are underdeveloped and he's having some heart problems. The reason for your pain and bleeding was due to placental abruption, which means that the babies were cut off from oxygen and nutrients. It's a good thing you got here when you did. Any later and you might have lost one or both of the twins." I nodded.

"And how's Dean?" I asked. The Healer smiled.

"He's doing well. He's having some problems breathing on his own, though. We've given both twins potions to help their lungs and the first is taking to it quite well. His lungs are more developed than the second twin's. The biggest problem we're having with the second twin is that he doesn't like the potions." He paused. "We have some paperwork for you to fill out after you take your potions. I'll send a nurse in as soon as I leave. Did you have anymore questions?"

"No. That's it. Thank you." He nodded and left the room. All the talking had made me tired. A nurse came in a few moments later with some potions, which I dutifully took.

"Why don't you get some rest." The nurse said. "You look exhausted. As soon as you wake up, I'll have the paperwork ready for you and then you can see the first born twin, okay?" I nodded and slid down into the bed, pulling the covers up and over Rose. I pulled her closer to me and she rested her head against my chest, still playing with a strand of my hair.

I woke up a few hours later and, as promised, the nurse had the papers ready to fill out. I wrote out both boys names on their birth certificates; Dean Jacob Malfoy and Lucas Xavier Malfoy. After the paperwork, the nurse left, saying she would be back with Dean. Harry and Ginny were sitting on the couch in the corner with Teddy and Rose.

"Is there anything new, Harry?" I asked, knowing he would know what I was asking about. He sighed and walked over to my bed.

"We're doing everything we can, 'Mione. But no. There hasn't been any sign of him." He ran a hand through his already messy jet black hair. "It's like he just disappeared of the face of the planet. Ron is contacting every muggle authority he can, sending out a missing persons file, and I have groups of Aurors out now, searching every known Death Eater hide out." I nodded, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.

"Here he is." The nurse said, walking in with a squirming baby. I sat up and held my arms out to take him. She placed him gently in my arms. Narcissa was right. He looked just like Draco; fine platinum blonde hair, pale, slightly pointed features, and warm grey eyes.

"Hello Dean." I whispered to my son.

"If you need anything, I'll be just down the hall." The nurse said, leaving the room.

"Harry, can you bring Rose over here?" I asked. He nodded and went to pick Rose up.

"This is your baby brother, Dean." I told her, when she was seated next to me. She didn't seem very interested. I spent about an hour with Dean until the nurse came back and took him. "Can you send a doctor in here, please?" I asked her. She nodded and left the room. A doctor came in a moment later.

"What can I do for you Mrs. Malfoy?" He asked, smiling.

"When will Dean, Lucas and I be able to leave?" I asked. The Healer glanced at his chart.

"You seem to be doing well. However, the boys will need to be here for at least another day. Possibly two for Lucas." He said. "Dean is doing much better. His lungs are fully developed and he's eating without any problems. Lucas however, is still bad off. His heart is fine but his lungs are still having difficulties. You'll probably be discharged today. You're more than welcome to come and visit them while they're here though." I nodded.

"Can I see Lucas today?" I asked, crossing my fingers.

"I don't see why not. You'll have to come up to the infant floor though." I nodded. "So, why don't you order some breakfast for you and your daughter, send someone to get you clean clothes and grab a shower. Then we can discharge you and you can come up and see Lucas. Your daughter won't be able to come in though, I'm afraid."

"That's fine. We'll take her home, 'Mione." Harry said. The Healer nodded and left.


	10. Home

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

_This chapter takes place a year after the last chapter._

**Chapter 10 – Home**

"It's been over a year, Hermione. No one has seen or heard from Draco. You need to move on." Harry said, picking up Sirius.

"If you were in my place and Ginny disappeared would you give up?" I replied angrily, cleaning up birthday cake off of Deans high-chair. "I'm not giving up on him. Lucius knows he's still alive. It's just a matter of finding him!" I threw the washcloth in the sink and stomped into the living room. Rose, Dean and Lucas were playing with Teddy, James and Remus on the living room floor. Today was Dean and Lucas's first birthday, October 23rd. James, Remus and Sirius turn one in a week on October 30th. Rosie will be two in four months. Draco had been gone for one year, one month, two weeks, and three days. Not that I was counting…

"Well, if Lucius Malfoy knows so much why doesn't he get his arse out there and help us find your husband!" Harry growled.

"Harry! Language!" Ginny scolded, rubbing her rounded stomach. My heart skipped a beat. If Draco were here, Ginny and I would probably pregnant together again. As it was, she was six months pregnant with a girl. Harry grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hallway, into the study. He pushed me into the chair in front of the desk.

"We've been searching for Malfoy for over a year, Hermione. I can't continue to send out my Aurors when Death Eaters have started attacking again." He sighed and sat down in a chair, looking extremely old. He rested his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together in front of him, head down. "I'm pulling my Aurors back tonight. We need them here. I'm sorry, 'Mione, but I have to." He stood up quickly and kissed my forehead. "We'll see you later." He strode out of the room and I heard him, Ginny and the kids leaving.

The next morning, I got the kids ready to go and flooed to Malfoy Manor.

"Mum? Dad?" I called, sliding into the room. I had gotten in the habit of calling them Mum and Dad. They had both been great this past year. Narcissa came into the sitting room.

"Mia, dear. How are you?" She asked. She held her arms out and Rose ran to her. I set Dean and Lucas down on the carpet.

"I've been better." I told her. "I need you to watch the children for a few hours."

"Of course, of course. We'd love to." Narcissa said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find a way to get Draco back." I said determinedly. "Harry pulled his Aurors back. He needs them here due to all the attacks."

"You had better be careful, Hermione. These kids already have one parent missing. They don't need another!" Narcissa said.

"I know. I'm just going to Hogwarts. But first, can I borrow your library?" I asked.

"You can use anything you want, dear. You know where it is." I nodded and headed towards the Malfoy library. It was filled to the brim with family history books and family records along with various books on all different subjects. I started with the family history books, skimming through them to see if a family member had ever gone missing and found later on. I found several. The only problem? I couldn't find a single mention of how they were found. I started skimming through the books on the shelves but found nothing of interest.

I went back downstairs, feeling a little hopeless. I said good-bye to the kids and Narcissa then Apparated to Hogsmeade. Once there, I made my way quickly to the gates of Hogwarts. I sent my patronus to Professor McGonagall. A few moments later, I saw her striding towards the gates.

"Hermione, what a pleasant surprise." She said, opening the gates. "What can we do for you?"

"I need to use the library." I said quickly, following her up to the castle.

"Ah, of course." We reached the front doors and she turned towards me. "You are more than welcome to use any part of the school that you need. If you need the restricted section ask Madam Pince to let you in. Tell her I gave you permission." I nodded. "You should bring those children by sometime." She added, smiling. She walked away towards the Great Hall and I headed to the library.

I took a deep breath as I entered. The smell of old books, parchment and ink was a comforting one. I took a few steps and then paused, not sure where to start. I found the search parchment, a new feature of the Hogwarts library. I picked up the quill and wrote _'Find Missing People'_. The idea of the parchment was that you wrote down what you were looking for in a book and the enchantment would find the book for you, telling you where it was. It was handy really, and a bit like a muggle computer. They had a separate on for the restricted section.

Words appeared on the parchment and I memorized them quickly.

'_Handy Spells for Emergencies by Mathilda Batkins' _I headed towards the back of the library, looking for shelf 124A. Finding it, I quickly turned down the isle and scanned the books. I grabbed the book off the shelf and sat down on the floor in front of the shelf.

'_Healing spells, cloaking spells, disillusionment spells, hiding spells, finding spells.' _I quickly flipped to the finding spells section and scanned the chapter, coming to halt about a spell for missing persons.

'_The first step in your quest to find a missing person is to verify that they are, indeed, missing, and not dead. This is a simple enough task. In the book 'Handy Potions for Emergencies' by Mathilda Batkins, there is a potion called the Life Status Potion. This potion will tell you if the person is alive or dead, safe or in danger. When this is complete, and you have the person's life status, you may proceed to the second step. Unfortunately, the second step is quiet dangerous and requires at least one other person, for supervision purposes. The second step can be found in 'Bad Spells for Great Purposes' by Mathilda Batkins.'_ I growled in frustration. Placing the book back on the shelf, I went to the front desk.

"Hello Madam Pince." I said sweetly. "I was wondering if I could borrow a piece of parchment from you."

"Certainly, Ms. Granger! Oh, although, I suppose it's Mrs. Malfoy now, right?" She asked, handing me a piece of parchment.

"It is. Thank you." I strode away and searched for the potions book on the enchanted parchment. When the results came up, I ran towards the shelf. Pulling it down, I flipped to the right section and sat down at a table. I hurriedly scribbled the steps and ingredients out and then placed the book back and headed back to the front desk.

Madam Pince let me into the Restricted Section and I found the enchanted parchment. The results for the spell book appeared and I strode towards the back shelf. I pulled the book down and, once again, sat down to read.

'_This spell requires at least two people; one to cast the spell and one to supervise, in case of an accident. With this spell, you are literally entering into a persons mind. It is imperative that you make the Life Status Potion before doing this spell. If the person in question happens to be dead, the person who cast the spell will die immediately. Before casting this spell, you need something of the missing person's, an article of clothing will do just fine. You need a comfortable space to cast the spell as your body will collapse once the spell is cast. The missing person will feel the presence of your mind so you must act quickly. Make your identity known to the person immediately so you will not be pushed out. If you are pushed out, a month must pass before trying this spell again._

_Once inside the persons mind, you will have less than 10 minutes. If the missing person is around someone who is gifted in __Legilimency they will be able to sense your presence, which is why you must act quickly. Do not spend time on affection. Get the information of where they are and what happened and get out._

_The incantation is as follows: Penetro Mentis_

_Point your wand, in your left hand, at your temple while saying the incantation. Repeat the incantation three times. In your right hand you need to be holding the item that belongs to the missing person. While saying the incantation, think very hard about the missing person; what they look like, how they act, a strong memory of them, etc._

_Caution: If you are unconscious for more than 10 minutes the person supervising needs to rescue you. They need to point the wand at your chest and say the following incantation: Reverto Mentis. Repeat the incantation three times. If this does not work then you are lost.'_

I sighed and stood up. Was I really willing to risk this? What if something happened and I couldn't come back? What would happen to Rose, Dean and Lucas? I cast a spell to copy the entry on to my parchment, placed the book back on the shelf and left Hogwarts.

I returned to Malfoy Manor and discussed the option with Lucius.

"Absolutely not. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger." He argued. "You have three children to look after. They are already without a father. To loose their mother as well would be to change their lives. Rose was young enough that she doesn't remember Draco. If you were to die, she would remember it." I sighed and sat down in the chair across from his.

"I just want Draco back home. I don't know how much longer I can do this without him." I explained. Lucius looked off into space, thinking.

"I will do it." He finally said. "You will be my supervision." He turned and looked at me. "If you are really willing to do anything to get my son back, then I should be willing to do the same. Stay for dinner. We will discuss it with 'Cissa and perform the spell tonight."

Dinner went by quickly. Narcissa agreed to the spell, she wanted her son back almost as much as I did. Narcissa put the kids to bed and Lucius and I went to perform the spell.

"The potion will not be necessary." He said. "The Sphere is never wrong. It says Draco is alive and so he is." He sat down on the floor of his study, arranging pillows behind him. "Run the spell by me again." He settled back into the pillows and I reread what was on my parchment. When I was done, he nodded. "Let's get going then." He pulled out his wand, holding it in his left hand, and pointed it to his temple. "Start the timer, Hermione. _Penetro Mentis._" There was a bright white light and when it faded Lucius was unconscious on the pillows.

I settled back on the couch and stared at the clock. When 10 minutes had passed, I stood up and went over to Lucius, pointing my wand at his chest. Just as I was about to say the incantation, Lucius took in a deep breath and shot upright.

"That was unpleasant." He said, rubbing his forehead.

"What happened? Did you get through?" I asked anxiously, kneeling down next to him.

"I did." He replied. "Would you be a dear and get me some scotch?" He asked. I sighed and stood up. Walking over to his desk, I pulled out a bottle of scotch and a glass.

"What happened?" I repeated, handing him the glass. There was a knock at the door and I growled in frustration. Pulling the door open, I let Narcissa in and once again sat down and repeated my question.

"He's being held by the Death Eaters, that much was obvious. He's in an abandoned cottage on Balta Island." Lucius began. "No one is there at the moment but they check on him every few hours. They're trying to get information out of him."

"Information? About what?" I asked.

"Dean and Lucas."He replied. I frowned, confused.

"Why do the Death Eaters want information about Dean and Lucas?" I asked. Lucius stood up and walked over to a bookcase, pulling a book down.

"Because of this." He said, tossing the book to me. I caught it and read the title.

"_Fredrick and Nathaniel Malfoy: A Force To Be Reckoned With._ What does this have to do with Dean and Lucas?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Fredrick and Nathaniel Malfoy were our ancestors. They were twins as well. The only twins in the Malfoy family, until now." Lucius swirled his scotch around, wondering how to continue. "Fredrick and Nathaniel had powers beyond what an ordinary wizard should have. They healed extraordinarily fast, they could control the elements, and they could heal others with a single touch. Have you ever heard of Arthur Miveldon?" I thought of all the history I had learned through the years.

"I vaguely remember the name." I replied.

"He was a muggle born who was against the wizarding world. A lot like Tom Riddle in the sense that his views were not supported by many. Muggles simply thought he was mad and Purebloods thought he wasn't a threat, being a muggleborn. He would kidnap, torture and kill half bloods and pure bloods." I nodded, remembering the story.

"They said he died of a heart attack." I said. Lucius held up a finger.

"Except that wizards can't die of heart attacks. We not susceptible to the same things muggles are." Lucius said. "Fredrick and Nathaniel had been kidnapped by Miveldon. They worked together to slip their restraints and they killed him."

"How?"

"They made his heart stop." Lucius sat back in his chair, satisfied with his telling of the story. "The Death Eaters think that Dean and Lucas are Fredrick and Nathaniel reborn."

"Come on, Harry. Pick up!" I muttered, listening to the ringing.

"Hello?" Came a tired voice.

"Harry! I know where Draco is! And I know why they took him!" I said quickly. I could hear Harry getting up out of bed and walking out of the room.

"How do you know all of this?" He asked, yawning.

"I found a spell in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. Lucius and I preformed it. He's in an abandoned cottage on Balta Island."

"Really?" He asked, incredulously.

"Really!" I replied.

"Write down all the information and owl it to me. I'll send out a group of Aurors first thing in the morning. And I'll personally lead it." He said.

"I want to go." I said immediately.

"No. No. Absolutely not. You're not an Auror." He said. "Stay with Lucius and Narcissa. As soon as we find him I'll bring him to Malfoy Manor, as long as he's not hurt."

"He is. He needs a Healer." I told him. "I'll go to St. Mungo's in the morning and hire one."

"Perfect." He yawned. "Can I go back to bed now?" He asked.

"Yes, Harry. Go back to bed." I said, laughing. The phone clicked and I flipped my mobile shut, making a mental list of everything I needed to do tomorrow.

I went to St. Mungo's the next morning as soon as I woke up.

"My name is Hermione Malfoy. I need to see about hiring a Healer." I told the receptionist. She looked up at me and smiled politely.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy but we don't hire out Healers." She said. I frowned.

"Need I remind you that the Malfoy family donates hundreds of Galleons to this hospital every year. I need to hire a Healer." I repeated.

"I'm aware of what the Malfoy family does but the fact still stands that we do not hire out Healers." She replied.

"I'd like to speak to the Head Healer. Now." I said firmly.

"She's busy." She replied. I rolled my eyes at the woman and strode down the hallway. "You can't go down there!" She called after me. I ignored her. I had known the Head Healer, Blaise Zabini, since first year at Hogwarts. He was one of Draco's friends. Finding his office, I opened the door, not bothering to knock. Blaise looked up from his paperwork, a look of surprise on his face.

"Hermione, what can I help you with?" He asked hesitantly. I strode to his desk and placed my hands on it, leaning towards him.

"Draco will be home today. He's injured." I began, not bothering with a preamble. "You know very well that the Malfoy family donates hundreds of Galleons a year to this hospital. I need to hire a Healer to come and stay at Malfoy Manor for a while. Your front desk receptionist said it's not possible. But unless you want those hundreds of Galleons a year to disappear, you'd better make it possible."

"Is this woman bothering you, sir?" asked a voice from the doorway. I turned around to see a large man standing in the door way.

"No Patrick. She's fine." Blaise said, glancing at the man. He nodded and walked away. "How do you know that Draco will be home today?" He finally asked me. I sat down in the chair in front of his desk and crossed my legs.

"My father-in-law and I preformed a spell that I found in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. I don't know why I didn't think to look there before. Harry lead a group of Aurors to the location first thing this morning. They'll be at Malfoy Manor any minute. As I said, he's injured and I need a Healer." I finished.

"Let me finish up this paperwork really quickly. When I'm done, I will come to Malfoy Manor and tend to him." He said. I nodded, thanked him and left.

"Mum?" I called, opening the door to the manor.

"In the sitting room!" She called back. I went into the sitting room and sat down on the couch. "Did you get a Healer?" She asked, changing Deans nappie.

"It was a struggle but yes. Blaise is going to be here as soon as he finishes his paperwork." I told her.

"It'll be great to see him again." She said, just as silvery object flew into the room. It arranged itself into the form of a stag patronus.

"Found him. Clear out the sitting room. He's badly injured." Came Harry's voice. "Be there in 5." The stag disappeared. Narcissa and I ran the kids up to their room. Narcissa satyed with them so I could help Harry. I ran back down to the sitting room just as Blaise slid out of the fireplace with a huge black bag in his hand.

"He'll be here in three minutes." I said, glancing at my watch. Blaise nodded. I sat down on the couch, trying not to fidget. Blaise was laying all his potions and bandages out on the table just as the front door was slammed open. I jumped up and sprinted into the entry way. Harry was supporting an almost unconscious Draco and I ran over to help. We got him into the sitting room and on the couch.

"We found him just after someone came to question him." Harry explained. I sat down on the couch next to Draco and smoothed back his hair. His eyes fluttered open.

"'Mione?" He asked weakly.

"Shhh. Don't talk. You're safe now. Go ahead and rest." I told him, holding back tears. "You're home."


	11. Daddy

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

**Chapter 11 – Daddy**

Draco spent the next week recovering. Besides being exhausted from being _crucio_'d and questioned every few hours, he had three broken ribs and a fractures wrist, on top of being sick from lack of proper food and water. Blaise and I moved him up to his old room so he would be more comfortable while he was healing. He asked about the children a lot but said he didn't want to see them until he was fully healed. I spent most of my days sitting or laying with him.

Walking into the nursery, I grabbed the picture off the shelf and sat down on the floor with Rose, Dean and Lucas.

"Hi babies." I said, smiling. Rose climbed into my lap and Dean and Lucas came over and sat in front of me. "Rose, do you remember this man?" I asked my daughter. She nodded. "You do?" I asked, surprised.

"Fom deams" She said, pointing to the picture of Draco.

"From… dreams?" I asked. She nodded. I showed the picture to Dean and Lucas. "This man is your daddy." I told them. "He was gone for a while but he's back now."

"He hurt?" Rose asked.

"Yes. He's hurt. But he's getting better." I told her.

"I see?" Rose asked, pointing to the picture. I gave her the picture and she gazed at it for a minute before handing it back.

"What do you guys think?" I asked Dean and Lucas, not expecting an answer.

"Dada," They said in unison. I heard a chuckle from the doorway and turned around to see Draco leaning against the doorframe. He had a brace on his wrist but otherwise looked much better. I held my hand out to him and he walked over and sat next to me. Rose stared at him, seeming fascinated with him.

"Hello Rosie." He said, smiling softly. She climbed off my lap and stood in front of him.

"You back?" She asked, frowning.

"Yes, I'm back. I'm sorry for leaving." He said. She sat down in his lap, careful of his wrist, and snuggled into his chest like he had never left.

"Not you faut." She said. Draco wrapped his arms around Rose and held her close. I saw a few tears slip down his face. Rose touched the brace on his wrist. "Huwt?" She asked. Draco looked at me for a translation.

"She wants to know if your hurt." I told him.

"Yes, I am. But it's not too bad." He said, smiling down at her.

"Off." She said, trying to take the brace off.

"No sweetie, he needs to keep it on so it can get better." I told her. She frowned and looked up at him.

"Off, daddy." She said.

"Your mum is right. I need to keep it on." Rose shook her head, making her blonde curls fly around her head.

"Ean and Ucas fix!" She insisted.

"Dean and Lucas?" I asked, frowning. I glanced at the twins.

"Fix! Fix!" Rose insisted, looking at the twins. Dean and Lucas got up and crawled over to Draco. Rose crawled off his lap and Dean and Lucas grabbed his hand. Draco and I watched in amazement as a white light encased his left wrist. When it faded, he glanced at me, pulling his brace off. He flexed his fingers and wrist.

"It's healed." He said, glancing at me again. Dean and Lucas grinned and Rose squealed in excitement.

"Kids, we're going to go talk to Grandpa. Maybe we'll go out together later." I told them. Draco and I stood up. Rose jumped up and hugged Draco's leg.

"I love ou, daddy." She said. He grinned and picked her up, holding her close.

"I love you too, princess." He said. He set her down on the floor and crouched down. "What about you two?" He asked the twins, lifting an eyebrow. "Do I get a hug?" Dean and Lucas glanced at each other, grinned and ran towards Draco, knocking him over. I laughed watching them. Dean and Lucas kissed Draco on each cheek and then went back to playing.

Draco and I headed towards Lucius' study.

"Father?" Draco called, knocking on the door. We heard Lucius call for us to come open and Draco turned the knob and pushed the door open. He shut the door behind us.

"What's wrong?" He asked, standing. "You look troubled." I took a deep breath and sat down on the couch in his study.

"The twins just healed Draco's arm." I said, staring at Lucius.

"Are you certain?" He asked, shocked. I nodded. "Well, that's… I'm not sure." Lucius frowned. "We have to keep this a secret. We can't let it get out. If the Death Eaters aren't sure of the twins powers, they won't go after them."

"There's no way to be sure of that." Draco argued, starting to pace.

"Then we'll take precautions." Lucius said, waving a hand.

"What kind of precautions?" Draco growled. "These are my children we're talking about. I can't have anything happen to them!" I stepped in front of his pacing path and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Nothing is going to happen to them." I told him firmly, looking up at him. Tears welled up in his eyes and he buried his face in my shoulder, crying softly.

"I just got them back, Hermione. I can't lose them again. I just can't." He whispered. I rubbed his back gently realizing just how much being held captive had changed him.

"We won't, Draco. I promise you that we won't lose them."

Life for the next few weeks was quiet. Draco, the kids, and I stayed at Malfoy Manor and Harry had assigned some Aurors to keep an eye on us. I could tell that Draco was itching to get back to work but Harry had told him to take some time off. The kids were getting used to Draco being around and visa versa. Draco was getting back into the feeling of being a father again and it really upset him when the kids would ask for me instead of him.

"I hate that I've missed so much…" He said one night while we were lying in bed. I rolled over to face him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"It's not your fault." I told him softly. "They'll get used to it. They just need some time." I smiled at him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was meant to be a soft, quick kiss but he held me tight and it quickly turned passionate. We hadn't made love in over a year and it had been far too long. Our night clothes were gone in an instant and he was inside of me before I could even gasp at the feeling.

He rocked his hips against mine, slowly at first, rolling on top of me. He pressed his lips to mine in a searing kiss before trailing kisses across my cheek, along my jaw and down my neck, finding the pulse point and sucking gently. He placed kisses back up my neck, stopping near my ear. His hands slid down my body, finding the bundle of nerves between my folds and rubbing it gently.

"Hermione," He moaned as my walls clenched around him. I cried out as my orgasm hit me hard and he followed a moment later. He rested against my chest, breathing hard, before rolling away and pulling me close. I sighed contentedly and wrapped an arm around his waist. He gently kissed my forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too, Draco." I replied before drifting off to sleep.

The next day, we decided to go out and do something as a family. Draco and I packed a picnic lunch and got the kids ready to go.

"Where we goin, mama?" Rose asked. I crouched down to her level and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"We're going to go shopping and then we'll go to a park and have lunch." I told her. She put on a thoughtful face for a moment.

"Otay." She said finally. We finished getting ready and flooed to Diagon Alley. The kids needed new clothes as they were quickly out growing all of theirs. We were in Madam Malkin's when my mobile phone rang. I glanced at it and flipped it open.

"Hello, Harry." I said.

"Where are you guys?" He asked frantically.

"We're in Diagon Alley. Why? What's happened?" By the frantic note in his voice I could tell that it wasn't a simple phone call.

"Malfoy Manor was attacked. We got there in time to fend them off but Narcissa and Lucius are both in St. Mungo's." Harry replied.

"We'll be there in 5." I said quickly. I flipped my phone shut and grabbed Rose. "We have to go Draco. The Manor was attacked." He picked up the twins and we rushed out of the store to Apparate to St. Mungo's.

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy?" Draco asked when we reached the front desk.

"Room B63." The receptionist replied. We ran down the hallway to the lifts. Draco pushed the button repeatedly, balancing Dean on his arm, and I grabbed his hand.

"Pushing it more than once won't make it get here any faster, Draco." He glanced at me and nodded quickly. The lifts arrived, we entered, and Draco started shifting from foot to foot. I reached over and placed a hand on his arm. "They're going to be fine." I said softly. Draco shook his head frantically.

"This is entirely my fault." He said quietly. The lifts opened and he strode out quickly. I sighed and followed him. I saw Harry at the end of the hall and rushed to meet him.

"How are they doing?" I asked quickly. Rose reached for him and he took her from me. Draco set the twins down on a bench behind Harry.

"Lucius is conscious and demanding to be released. Narcissa is somewhat worse off." Harry said. "The best we can guess is that Narcissa was in the sitting room and was attacked first. Lucius heard the attack and ran to the stairs. He was hit with a spell and toppled down the stair case. Lucius has a minor concussion, a few broke bones and tons of bruises but he's otherwise fine. Narcissa has a few broken bones and bruises as well but we won't know the extent of the damage until she wakes up." He finished.

"Can we see them?" Draco asked immediately. Harry nodded and we turned to go to the room. We walked into see Lucius struggling to get up out of bed.

"Dad, you need to stay in bed." I said, rushing over to him. He clicked his tongue.

"Nonsense. I'm perfectly fine." He argued. He flinched and grabbed his side.

"No. You're not, father. Get back in bed." Draco said. Lucius ignored him and got out of bed to walk over to Narcissa's bedside. He sat down in the chair next to her and grabbed her hand.

"'Cissa, love. Come back to me." He said softly. Draco walked over and a placed a hand on his father's shoulder.

"She'll be fine. The Healers are doing everything they can for her."Lucius' head shot up.

"Yes. Everything _they _can do. Where are the twins?" He asked.

"They're out in the hall with Harry." Draco said slowly. "We can't have anyone know about them though." Lucius shook his head.

"No one will. It will only take a moment. We can close the door." He argued. "Draco, I can't lose her. She's your mother. Don't you want her to get better?"

"Yes, of course. But-"

"But what? They can help her." Lucius said firmly. I watched the exchange quietly with a split opinion. I loved Narcissa and I would be devastated if she died. But I didn't want to risk my children's safety either. I went out into the hall.

"Harry, we need your help." I said. "Bring the kids." He followed me back into the room. "Boys, stop arguing." Draco and Lucius looked over at me. "Harry, I need you to watch the door. If anyone tries to come in, stop them. Tell them that we're fine and just need some time alone. Got it?"

"Yes. But what's going on?" He asked.

"The twins are going to help Narcissa." I said. Lucius smiled and Draco looked nervous. Harry looked confused.

"How?" He asked.

"I'll explain later. Go watch the door." Harry nodded, set the kids down and left. I picked up the boys and set them down on Narcissa's bed. Dean climbed over and sat on her left with Lucas on her right. "Go ahead, boys." The twins looked at each other and then grabbed Narcissa's hands, closing their eyes.

Nothing happened for a moment and we all held our breath. Rose climbed into Lucius lap to get a better view. It started as a small white light that began at Narcissa's chest and slowly encased her entire body. The light was so bright that we had to shield our eyes. It faded after a few moments and Narcissa took a shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering open.

"'Cissa?" Lucius asked tentatively. Narcissa smiled and squeezed his hand. She pulled her hand away and grabbed Dean and Lucas's hands.

"Thank you, boys. Meme was fading fast." Dean and Lucas smiled and climbed off the bed, waddling over to me. The door burst open and Harry came barging in.

"What the bloody hell was that?" He asked.

"Shut the door Harry." I told him. He obliged and then turned back to me.

"Explain." He said bluntly. I sat down on the bench on the corner and pulled the boys into my lap. Harry sat next to me. I pulled out my wand and sliced my palm open. Harry cried out in surprise.

"Just watch." I told him. I held out my hand to Dean and Lucas who immediately took it in their hands. Harry watched in amazement as white light surrounded my hand and slowly faded, leaving my palm cut free.

"How did they do that?" He asked slowly.

"Have you ever heard of Fredrick and Nathaniel Malfoy? Or Arthur Miveldon?" I asked.

"Vaguely. Wasn't Miveldon some dark wizard that supposedly died of a heart attack?" I nodded. "But it confused a lot of people because wizards aren't susceptible to heart attacks."

"Exactly. Lucius has a book on Fredrick and Nathaniel. They were the only twins to be born into the direct Malfoy line, until Dean and Lucas. They had powers. Long story, short, Fredrick and Nathaniel were kidnapped my Arthur Miveldon. They slipped their restraints and killed him by making his heart stop." Harry looked thoughtful for a moment.

"So, you guys think that Dean and Lucas have the same powers as Fredrick and Nathaniel?" He finally asked.

"Yes. And now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever seen one of them with a cut or bruise or anything."

"And this is why the Death Eaters captured Draco? To try and get information from him?" I nodded. "Well, that's not very well thought out considering they weren't even born yet when Draco was captured."

"We know. Our guess is that the Death Eaters knew that the only twins to ever be born to Malfoys, Fredrick and Nathaniel and now Dean and Lucas, would be born with these powers."

"How did they know before you?" Harry asked confused. I shrugged.

"That would be my sister's doing." Narcissa said. We all looked towards her. "She told the Death Eaters about Fredrick and Nathaniel long ago. Back when Voldemort first came to power. They all thought it was just a tale though. I'm guessing that someone must have taken it seriously enough to convince everyone else and follow the story."

"We can't let this get out Harry." I told him. "If the Death Eaters even get a hint that the story could be true they'll come after the boys."

"I know. I won't tell anyone, I swear." He stood up, stretched and sighed. "In the mean time, I want an Auror with you at all times. I'll rearrange the schedule and hand it out. I want you to stay at the Manor until this gets sorted out. I'll place every security precaution I know around the Manor this afternoon."

_Author's note: I profusely apologize for the long delay on this chapter! I've been getting ready to go on a family trip, which I'm on now. Hopefully, I can get the next chapter up within a week!_

_And a HUGE congrats goes out to Tom Felton for winning Best Villian on the MTV Movie Awards! He completely deserved it and all those hours of cleaning up cookies and voting totally paid off! Thanks to everyone who voted!_

_Read and Review! It keeps me going :)_


	12. Heartbreak

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

_Just a quick note due to a review I got on the last chapter from FlowerChild67, Hermione didn't try research because she was busy with Rose, Dean and Lucas. She had faith that Harry would find Draco. I apologize for not explaining this sooner._

_On to the story!_

**Chapter 12 – Heartbreak**

Narcissa and Lucius were released from St. Mungo's the next day. Due to Harry's new Auror placement we had to make plans a week in advance and let him know when and how long we would be gone so that he could assign an Auror to go with us. Draco was getting restless at the Manor with nothing to do so Harry agreed to let him go back to work next week, as long as he could pass a mental stability test and a physical test.

Neither Lucius nor Narcissa could remember who had broken into the manor. It seemed as if they're memories had been wiped. As soon as the Aurors had arrived the Death Eaters had Disapperated, to quickly for anyone to get a good look at them. So once again, we had no idea who was behind all of this. I had a pretty good idea but Draco waved off my thoughts claiming that Astoria wasn't smart enough to pull this stuff off.

Draco had given the Aurors every piece of information he could, which wasn't much. Every time someone came to see him their faces were completely covered and their voices masked. He had lost count of how many people were in on it but he had counted at least 20.

Draco often woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. It was always the same dream. Dean and Lucas were being tortured in the same cabin that he had been held in. He was there, watching and unable to do anything about it. Before he could get to sleep he would have to go in the kids' rooms and check on them, and even then it took him awhile to get back to sleep. I would often wake up to find his side of the bed empty and find him asleep on the floor in Dean and Lucas' room. He would often stare into space, deep in thought, with a concerned look on his face. When this happened I would send one of the children to play with him and he would smile at me gratefully.

We planned to go back to Diagon Alley that weekend and Harry agreed, saying he and Ron would come with us. We packed up the kids on Saturday morning and waited for them to arrive. They slid out of the fireplace exactly on time.

"You guys ready to go?" Harry asked, brushing the dirt off of his cloak.

"UCLE ARRY!" Rose yelled, running towards him. Harry laughed and picked her up.

"Hey Rosie. Are you ready to go to Diagon Alley?" He asked. She nodded her head vigorously, smiling from ear to ear.

"We're ready Harry." I said, laughing.

"Great. Let's get going." He said. "Ron, you'll go first. I'll send Hermione in next with the boys, then Draco with Rosie. I'll follow immediately after. No one leaves the fireplace until I get there." Ron nodded and went through the fireplace. I followed with Dean and Lucas.

"So, Ron. How have you been?" I asked when I got through.

"I've been good." He replied, taking Dean from me.

"Are you still with Luna?" He nodded.

"Yeah. She's been doing well. She's ah…" He cleared his throat. "She's actually pregnant." He confessed, blushing.

"Wow! That's great! How far along is she? Does your family know yet?" I asked, excitedly.

"She's twelve weeks. And yeah, they know. Mum's a little upset since we're not married yet though." I laughed as Draco slid out of the fireplace, Rose giggling excitedly in his arms.

"'Gain, 'gain daddy!" She laughed.

"On our way home, princess." Draco said, stepping out of the way as the Harry slid out.

"Where to?" Harry asked.

"Madam Malkins. Draco needs new robes." I told him. He nodded and we headed towards the shop, Ron on my right, Harry on Draco's left. We made it to the shop with no problems and got Draco new dress robes, then headed towards the book store. I wanted to see if I could find out anything else about Fredrick and Nathaniel. I found two books and then we went to get some food. We all caught up over lunch.

"So when is Ginny due?" Draco asked Harry.

"April 10th." He replied.

"Wow! Three more months." Harry nodded grinning. "Do you have name picked out yet?" I studied Draco's face while he was talking to Harry. He seemed almost… Jealous.

"Yeah. We're going to name her Molly."

"After Ginny's mother?" Draco asked. Harry nodded. "What about you Weasley? Starting a clan of your own soon?" Draco asked, laughing.

"Luna is twelve weeks pregnant actually." Ron said. "We'll find out what she's having soon." Draco nodded and suddenly got very interested in his lunch.

We got home later that afternoon and put the kids down for a nap. Draco stood over Rosie's bed for a few moments, watching her sleep. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"You were awfully quiet after lunch." I said. "Is something wrong?" He turned in my arms and led me out of the room, shutting the door softly. We went into our room and he fell down on the bed, legs hanging over the end.

"I've missed all of my children's births and a lot of their lives." He sighed and sat up, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at me seriously. "I feel like a failure at being a father. And a husband." I walked over to him and sat on his lap, facing him. I ran a hand through his hair.

"It's not your fault, Draco." I told him. "It's not like you walked out of your own free will."

"I know. But I can't help it…" His voice faded out and he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. I laid down next to him and rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Suddenly, it started increasing.

"What are you thinking about, Draco?" I asked. He cleared his throat and remained silent for a moment.

"I want another." He said finally. I lifted my head to look at him.

"Another what?"

"Another child." He clarified, with a hopeful look on his face. I watched him for a moment, deciding how to answer.

"Draco… We already have three. And I have a hard enough time keeping up with them now." I said slowly. His face fell and he dropped his head back onto the pillow, staring at the ceiling again.

"I could quit my job?" He offered. "We don't really need the money." I sighed and sat up, facing the door.

"You wouldn't be happy." I replied, shaking my head. I felt him sit up next to me and scoot back to lean against the pillows.

"Hermione…" He said quietly. He cleared his throat. "Mia," He said gently, using my nickname that he had picked up from Narcissa. "I wasn't there for you during Rose's or Dean and Lucas's births. Hell, I wasn't there for you at all while you were pregnant with Rosie. I'd like to see one of my children's births and be there for you during the entire pregnancy and be able to see their first steps and first words. All of that…" I closed my eyes and sighed. Did I want another child?

"I'll think about it." I finally replied.

Draco got cleared to go back to work the next week and he seemed glad to do so. He would get off of work and tell me to go take a nap while he watched the kids. I usually ended up sitting in the library, reading a book.

One day, after Draco got off of work, he took the kids outside to play and I sat in the sitting room, staring into space. An elf _pop_ped into the room.

"Would Miss Mia like anything to eats or drinks from Jimsy?" The little elf asked.

"No, but thank you." I said, smiling. The elf bowed and _pop_ped away. I glanced around the room, my eyes finally landing on the pictures on the bookshelf in the corner. I smiled and walked over to them. The first was a picture of Draco when he started at Hogwarts and one for every year after that. I skipped through those and went to the next shelf, which started when he found out about Rose. There was a picture of him and Rose in front of Harry's house, and another in front of the Manor. Then there was one of the three of us in front of the house in Faversham. The next one was just before the battle at Diagon Alley, just before he was taken. We had gone to get professional photos done. I pulled the picture down and went to sit back down on the couch.

I silently studied the picture. Draco sat behind me, arms around my rounded stomach, dressed very nicely in black trousers and a green button down shirt. I was dressed in a simple, white summer dress. Rose was sitting in front of me, criss-cross applesauce, dressed in a red plaid dress with shiny black shoes. Draco looked so happy in the picture. I stood up and went to put the picture back, pulling down the last one.

This photo was taken the day we went Diagon Alley. We had bought new clothes from Madame Malkin's and went to a new photography shop that had just opened. Draco and I sat back to back facing the camera with the kids laying on their stomachs next to us. It was my favorite picture by far. I set the photo back down on the bookcase and went to lie down on the couch.

How could I keep Draco from being happy? If having another child would make him happy, how could I say no? I fell asleep to thoughts of another blonde haired, blue-eyed baby coming into our family.

As luck would have it I woke up a few days later and promptly ran to the bathroom to vomit. A few moments later I felt Draco's hands pull back my hair and start rubbing my back. I finished and wiped my mouth, leaning back on his chest. He wiped the sweat off my forehead and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, kissing my cheek.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked. I nodded.

"Mummy otay?" Rose asked from the bathroom door. I turned my head and smiled at her.

"I'm fine, sweetie. Did I wake you up?" I asked. She shook her head, making her blonde curls fly around her head.

"No Ean an Ucas did." She replied, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Dean and Lucas? What were they doing?" I got to my feet and went over to pick her up.

"Cryin," She said. I glanced at Draco and headed to the boys bedroom. It was silent in the hallway. Draco rushed past me and flung the door open. I set Rose down, getting a bad feeling with the way Draco just stood in the doorway.

"Go get Papa, Rosie. Quickly." She nodded and ran down the hallway towards Lucius's room. I pushed past Draco into the boys' room and my breath stopped.

Both of their beds were empty.

Harry was frantic. The Aurors that were supposed to be on duty last night and this morning were gone.

"HOW COULD YOU HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN POTTER? You promised that my boys would be safe! Where the bloody hell are they?" Draco screamed at him. Harry winced and looked away. Narcissa and Lucius sat in the corner, trying to calm Rosie down.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. But I promise that we will find them. I have my best Aurors out looking right now." Harry said quietly.

"No! Fuck you, Potter. We trusted you! I'm going to find Dean and Lucas by myself!" Draco turned and stormed out of the room. Complete silence followed him.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Harry said, sitting down on the couch. "He's right. I failed you guys." I went over and sat next to him on the couch.

"It's alright Harry. It's not your fault. Draco's just worried." I gave him a hug and then went to find Draco. I found him in the library, tearing through books.

"Where is it Hermione?" He yelled.

"Where's what?"

"The spell you used to find me! Where is it?" He repeated.

"At Hogwarts." Draco turned and glared at me.

"Well cast it! Aren't you worried about them? Or do you just not care what happens to our children?"

"What?" I said, incredulously. "Don't you dare tell me that I don't care about our kids, Draco!"

"Why aren't you mad at Potter then?" He asked.

"BECAUSE IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!" I screamed, losing my temper. "He wasn't the one that was on duty last night! It's our fault for not hearing them crying! It's my fault for not knowing that something was wrong! I'm their mother for Merlin's sake, I'm supposed to take care of them." My voice dropped. "I wasn't there when they needed me. Their probably terrified." I whispered, tears running down my face.

"Mia." Draco said softly. He dropped the books that he had in his hands and came over to me, wrapping his arms around me. He wiped my tears away and kissed my forehead. "It's not your fault." He sighed. "And it's not Potters fault either." He ran a hand through his hair, a sign of irritation for him. "Do you have a copy of that spell anywhere? We can use it to find out where the boys are."

"Dad has it in his office." I replied, wiping the last of my tears away. Draco nodded and took my hand, leading me out of the library towards Lucius' study.

We arranged the pillows in Lucius' study and I cast the spell then Draco and I sat down and prepared ourselves for the longest ten minutes of our lives. Seconds later however, Lucius breathed in sharply and sat up.

"What happened, father?" Draco asked immediately.

"I… I couldn't get in." Lucius said frowning and rubbing his forehead. "It was like running into a brick wall. Mentally, of course."

"Would you be willing to try a different angle?" I asked hesitantly. Draco and Lucius looked at me. "I know neither of you believe me but… Maybe we should try getting into Astoria's mind." I waited silently while they thought it over. Finally, Draco sighed.

"It's worth a shot I guess."

"Cast the spell again, Mia." Lucius told me. I nodded.

"_Penetro Mentis._" I said once again. A white light filled the room. When it was gone Lucius was unconscious against the pillows. Draco and I settled down on the couch again to wait. A few minutes later, Lucius shot up.

"You were right, Hermione." He said immediately. "Astoria has them at Greengrass Manor."


	13. Fight For The Children

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

**Chapter 13 – Fight For The Children**

We contacted Harry immediately after Lucius woke up.

"I'll get a team together as soon as I get off the phone." He said through the phone.

"Draco and I are coming with you." I told him.

"Draco can come. You're not an Auror I can't guarantee your safety. Stay at home with Rose, she needs you." Harry argued.

"No. Lucius and Narcissa are watching her. I'm going with." I said stubbornly. Harry sighed.

"Fine." He finally agreed. He told us to meet him at the Ministry Auror office in 20 minutes and we hung up.

"So?" Draco asked when I flipped my phone shut.

"We're meeting him at the Auror office in 20. Go get ready." I told him. He nodded and headed towards our room. I followed him and we quickly changed then headed to Lucius' study to say goodbye to Rosie.

"NO!" Rose screamed when we told her we were leaving.

"We'll be back, Rosie. I promise." I told her gently. "We're going to get Dean and Lucas."

"No mummy! Tay!" She cried, holding on to my arm.

"I can't sweetie. I have to go get your brothers. You'll have fun with Meme and Papa." She shook her head stubbornly and stamped her foot.

"No no no!" She yelled.

"Rose Marie," Narcissa said softly. "Come here." Rose turned around and ran to her.

"Mummy tay!" Rose begged her. Narcissa knelt down and pulled Rose into her arms.

"Your mummy and daddy have to go get your brothers." Narcissa said, playing with Rose's curls. "Uncle Harry will make sure they stay safe."

"No! Mummy get huwt!" Rose insisted, pulling out of Narcissa's arms. She turned to me. "Tay mummy, pwease!" It broke my heart to see her so upset but I had to go. I walked over to Lucius's desk and opened the top drawer, pulling out two knuts and two sickles. I tapped my wand on them and handed one of each to Rose.

"These will tell you when we're coming back." I told her. "The knut is for mummy and the sickle is for daddy. Okay?" Rose sniffed and nodded slowly. Draco came up behind us and knelt down as well.

"I won't let anything happen to her. I promise." He said, pulling her into a hug. She nodded into his chest. "I love you princess." He said, kissing her on the forehead.

"I wove ou too, daddy." She said into his chest.

"As soon as we find the boys, I'll send Hermione home with them." Draco said to Narcissa and Lucius. They nodded and Draco and I flooed to the Ministry.

Harry had assembled a team of 30 when we reached the Auror office. He quickly explained the plan to us. The team would be broken up into three groups. He would lead one, Ron would lead the second and Draco would lead the last. I would be in the group with Draco. Harry would lead the first and scout the perimeter of the Manor and take out any outside opposition. When it was clear, Ron and Draco would lead their teams inside then split. Draco's team would go looking for Dean and Lucas with Ron's team taking out anyone in the Manor.

He had found a layout of the Greengrass Manor and decided that Astoria would probably be with the boys on the top floor since the entrance was hidden. Draco and I scanned the map quickly, memorizing the paths.

"The entrance to the top floor is right here." Harry said, pointing to a wall inside of a room at the end of the last hallway. "There's a staircase that leads up . We're not sure how to get to it though. But I'm sure Hermione can figure it out." He glanced at me and I nodded. "Good. Now, she'll more than likely be heavily guarded up there. Draco, You go straight to her and let your team deal with anyone else. I'm giving you permission to use whatever means necessary to get your boys back. When Astoria has been dealt with, Hermione, grab the boys and Apperate back to Malfoy Manor."

"There's likely to be apperation wards up." Draco pointed out. Harry nodded.

"Which is why we found this." He said pointing to another spot on the map. "It's a passageway that leads from the top floor directly to the bottom. It was probably used as an escape route. Evelyn Vain and Joseph Rolph will go with you to be sure that it's safe. As soon as you're out of the Apperation field you go home. Draco, I'll need you to stay and help finish up." We both nodded and Harry quickly split up the teams.

Harry had miscalculated by a bit. As soon as we made it to the Manor we realized that there was a line of Death Eaters waiting outside of the Manor.

"We'll need everyone to take these guys out." Harry said, loud enough for everyone to hear him. We quickly formed two lines. "When most of them are out, Ron, Draco, take your teams inside. Wands out!" Harry yelled. We walked towards the Death Eaters surrounding the Manor, stopping about 10 feet away from their front line. "You've committed crimes against the Wizarding World." Harry called out to them. "The Ministry of Magic has ordered for your arrest. Anyone who wants to surrender, needs to do so now and will receive a lesser sentence." They raised their wands as one, no one stepping forwards. Harry nodded once and we raised our wands as well. The battle began.

I stuck close to Draco. The Death Eaters at the front were easily taken out in less than an hour and we headed into the Manor.

"Ron, you take the lower two floors. I'll take the next two. When you're done, come and join us. Draco, head to the top floor." Harry ordered. We split up and our group immediately went up the stairs. I glanced around as we made our way to the top floor. It wasn't as grand and old as Malfoy Manor was but it still screamed money.

I knew that Astoria wasn't simply doing this for the boys powers. There had to be a different reason but I wasn't quite sure what. I had a few ideas, each of which I turned over in my head. She could simply be trying to get back at Draco for what he did. That was my main thought.

"Hermione?" Draco asked. My thoughts vanished as I realized that we were standing in the room that would lead us to the top floor. The room, like most of the Manor, was built with bricks.

"Everyone look for a loose brick." I told them. "If you find one, push on it. That would be the most obvious entrance." Our group broke up and searched the walls around us.

"Nothing." Draco finally said. I sat down on the floor and looked around, thinking.

"No portraits." I thought out loud. "No bookcases. Completely empty room." I paused. "It could be a password." I said finally.

"But that would take forever to figure out." Draco sighed.

"I know." I replied. "Did you guys actually push on the bricks?" I asked. A few people nodded but most shook their heads. "Try it. Push on each brick." We went around the room once more, pushing in on each brick.

"Found it!" Several people shouted. I glanced around and saw that eight people had found bricks.

"Stay where you are. Everyone else to the middle of the room." Draco told them. Everyone came away from the walls. Draco glanced at me.

"Start at the door. Clockwise." I told them. The man standing at the door, Evan I thought his name was, pushed on his brick followed by Joseph and so on. When they were done, nothing happened. "Again. Counterclockwise." I tried. Nothing. I sat down, frowning.

"Hermione." Draco said.

"I'm thinking." I told him. "All at the same time." I said finally. "On the count of three." I glanced at Draco.

"One!" Draco started. "Two! Three!" Everyone gave a huge push against the bricks and we heard a grinding sound. I looked behind me to see a section of the far wall shimmering and disappearing. I could see a staircase appearing. I jumped up.

"Yes!" I said, heading towards the staircase. Draco grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Go to the middle. I promised Rose I'd keep you safe." He said. I nodded. Just as we were going through the wall, Harry and Ron strode through the door. It looked like they had gone down in numbers.

"Everyone group up!" Harry called. Everyone gathered together with Harry, Ron and Draco in the front. Evelyn and Joseph stood on either side of me towards the middle. Harry motioned us towards the staircase and we started climbing.

The top floor was really an attic. It was just a big open space with a few stone columns. We reached the top of the staircase and the sight before us made my heart stop. Astoria was kneeling in the corner, turned away from us. I could see Dean and Lucas just past her. It was obvious that she had placed a silencing spell on them. Their mouths were opened in identical wails but no sound came out. I glanced around quickly and realized that no one else was in the room.

"You bitch!" I screamed, pushing my way to the front. Evelyn and Joseph both reached for me but I quickly brushed them off. "You let my boys go right now or Merlin help me, I'll rip you limb from limb!" I finally made it to the front of the group and Draco grabbed me, pushing me behind him. Astoria stood up and turned towards us.

"It's about time you made it, Drake." She said airly. "I've been waiting for hours."

"Release Dean and Lucas." Draco growled. "Now!" Astoria tsked.

"Now, now Draco. Is that anyone way to speak to someone who, quite literally, holds your heart?" She turned around and picked up Dean and Lucas, who both struggled in her arms, mouths still open in silent screaming. Draco tensed in front of me.

"What do you want Astoria?" Draco asked, teeth clenched in anger.

"You." She said simply. "I have a proposition for you Draco. Marry me, right here, right now, and I'll let your boys go home, safe and sound, with _Granger_." She said my name as if it tasted bad and looked me up and down with distaste.

"I have a new proposition for you Ms. Greengrass." Harry interjected. "Let the boys go and we won't kill you." Astoria snorted.

"You really think you can touch me?" She asked. As if on cue, fifty plus Death Eaters appeared in the room.

"Shit." Harry muttered under his breath. They outnumbered us by a lot.

"Get them." Astoria said simply. The Death Eaters surrounded us and the battle ensued.

I didn't know if it was 20 minutes or two hours later but suddenly I was pushed and landed right next to Dean and Lucas. I glanced around and, not seeing Astoria anywhere, I grabbed the boys and ran towards the staircase. Astoria stepped in front of me just before I reached it.

"Going somewhere?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. I gripped the boys tighter and gritted my teeth. I couldn't get to my wand with the boys in my arms and everyone else was busy fighting off the Death Eaters.

"I'm taking my boys home." I said stubbornly. Astoria laughed.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I don't think so." She said. "Put the children down and pull your wand out." I carefully set the boys down, pulling my wand out as I straightened up. Dean and Lucas crawled around and hid behind my legs. I felt Dean pull on my pants and I glanced down to see him pointing at Astoria. I shook my head and looked back at the woman that was trying to destroy my family. I didn't look up quick enough however and was soon sprawled on my back, my head slammed on to the hardwood floor. Astoria laughed and walked over to me, pushing Dean and Lucas out of the way with a flick of her wand. "You were saying?" She asked, laughing.

"ASTORIA!" Came Draco's voice from across the room. She looked up and suddenly screamed in pain. Dean and Lucas each had a hand on her leg and were staring at her with an intense look. She crumpled to the ground. Draco ran over to us and knelt down next to Astoria, feeling for a pulse. He looked up at me wide-eyed. "She's dead."


	14. Life As I Know It

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

_Sorry these last two chapters have been so short; I've been short on time lately. This is possibly the last chapter guys! Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with me!_

_I'm considering posting an epilogue of ten years later. Let me know what you think!_

**Chapter 14 – Life as I Know It**

Life was back to normal for the five of us. We decided to sell the house in Faversham and get a house closer to everyone. We found a two story, six bedroom, three bathroom house in Wizarding London and started moving everything in. Three months had passed since Dean and Lucas were taken. The Aurors were certain that they had either killed or captured every remaining Death Eater. Draco and I were worried about the boys have repercussions for killing Astoria but Harry assured us that they were in no trouble for it, seeing as they 'assisted' in the battle.

Ginny had little Molly two months ago, a month early. Harry was ecstatic to be a father again and their boys were thrilled to be big brothers. Luna was now seven months along and they were having a boy. They had already settled on the name Fred, after Ron's brother.

As for Draco and I? I was four months pregnant and Draco was practically jumping for joy. We couldn't wait to find out what we were having and we already had names picked out for a boy and a girl, Jasper and Celeste.

I woke up the morning of my ultrasound and Draco was already up and making breakfast. I took a shower and got ready for the day then went down stairs.

"Hi babies." I said, kissing Rose, Dean and Lucas on the foreheads. "Are you guys ready to spend the day with Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny?"

"Did I hear my name?" Harry called, coming into the kitchen.

"UNCLE ARRY!" Rose cried. She jumped off her chair and ran to him.

"I never thought I'd see the day when a Malfoy was excited to see a Potter." Draco said frowning. Harry laughed and set Rose back in her seat. The kids went with Harry and Draco and I ate breakfast and left for St. Mungo's.

"Guess what Rosie?" Draco said, swinging her around the living room. She started giggling like mad. "You're going to have a little sister!" Draco set her down on the floor.

"YAY!" Rose yelled. "Was er name?" She asked.

"We're naming her Celeste Ann." I told Rose, pulling her into my lap. "Draco, would you get the boys ready to go?" I asked, starting to braid Rose's hair.

"Where we goin?" Rose asked.

"We are going to visit Meme and Papa." I told her, twisting a hair tie at the end of her braid.

"Otay." She said, jumping off my lap.

The next six months went smoothly. Draco was the perfect doting husband and father. Rose turned three and drove everyone bonkers on her birthday, insisting that it was her day and everyone had to listen to her.

On September 4th, I was sitting in the living room placing her birthday photos in our scrapbook when I sneezed.

"Draco!" I yelled, looking down at my lap. Draco came running into the room with Dean in his arms.

"What's-" He started. Then he saw my lap. He put Dean down. "Go get Lucas and Rose. Now." Dean nodded and ran out of the room. "What happened?" Draco asked. He grabbed the bag that was next to the couch and knelt in front of me.

"I sneezed." I said lamely.

"Have your contractions started yet?" I shook my head. "Ok. I'll floo mum and dad to come get the kids and then we'll go to St. Mungo's." I cried out as my first contraction hit me and gripped Draco's shirt.

"You're not leaving me!" I yelled. Rose, Dean and Lucas came running into the room.

"Rosie, do daddy a favor. Go fetch Mummy's mobile. It's on the dining room table." Rose nodded with a scared look in her eyes and ran out of the room, coming back a moment later with my mobile clutched in her hand. "Call Meme and Papa. Do you know how to do that?" Rose nodded and did as she was told.

"Meme! Mummy hurt!" Rose cried. She listened for a moment and then handed the mobile to Draco. "Meme want to talk to you."

"Mum? Hermione is in labor. I need you to come get the kids." He said quickly. "Ok. Bye." He flipped the phone shut. "Go get ready to go to Meme and Papa's, kids."

"I wanna tay with Mummy!" Rose cried.

"No. I have to take Mummy to see Uncle Blaise." Draco said. "Go! Now!" The kids nodded and ran out of the room.

"You'd think," I panted, "That after having three kids… This would be easier!" I cried out in pain again as another contraction hit me. Draco was to my left, holding my hand and trying to help me through the labor.

"Just breath, Mia." He told me.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I yelled. He flinched and I felt bad for a second, before another contraction hit. I had been in labor for over eight hours, my longest yet. Having Rose had taken three hours of pushing, Dean and Lucas had taken five. "There's something wrong!" I insisted yet again.

"You're doing fine, Mrs. Malfoy." The Healer said.

"No!" I yelled. I sat up further and grabbed the front of his shirt. "You get Healer Zabini in here. NOW!"

"I can't do that. He's busy." The Healer said. Draco growled and got up.

"Look asshole, I donate hundreds of galleons a year to this place. You get Blaise in here now, or Merlin help me-"

"No need to threaten, mate. I'm here. Healer Johnson, you're free to go." Blaise cast a quick ultrasound spell on my stomach. The image projected and Blaise studied it. "There's the problem. You're daughter is turned facing up. It's not too much to worry about but it will make this longer and harder." I collapsed back on the bed and glared at the ceiling. "Do you want to take a quick break or proceed?"

"I need water." I said. Draco handed me my cup and I drank it down then propped myself up on my elbows and nodded. "Let's go."

I pushed for another hour before we heard Celeste cry for the first time. Draco cut her umbilical cord and helped wash her off while I pushed out the placenta. The last thing I saw before passing out was Draco holding our newborn daughter and crying softly.


	15. Epilogue 11 Years Later

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

**Chapter 15 – Epilogue – 11 Years Later**

"Mum! Make her hurry up! We're going to be late!" Rose yelled from the bottom of the stairs. I exited my bedroom and Dean and Lucas ran past me, almost knocking me over.

"Dean! Lucas! No running in the house!" I called after them.

"Sorry, mum!" The chorused, running down the stairs. I went over and knocked on Celeste's bedroom door.

"Celeste, honey? Are you ready to go?" The door opened slowly and I saw Celeste, still in her pajamas, with tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong?" I pushed my way into her room and pulled her into my arms.

"I don't want to go…" She sniffed. "What if I don't get put in Slytherin? Rose, Dean and Lucas are all in Slytherin!"

"Oh, sweetie. It doesn't matter what house you get sorted into, Daddy and I don't care." I smoothed down her straight, brown hair and kissed her forehead. "And besides, you know people in three houses already. James, Remus, and Sirius are in Gryffindor. Molly is in Ravenclaw. And I'm sure you'll be in the same house with Lily, Nathaniel, Fred, Benjamin, or Aldo." I told her.

"She better not be in the same house as Potter." Draco said, coming into the room, carrying our two year old son Tommy. Celeste stuck her bottom lip out and I glared at Draco.

"She's upset Draco!" I told him. He kneeled down in front of Celeste and smiled at her, setting Tommy down.

"Princess, it doesn't matter what house you're in. Mummy and I will be proud of you no matter what. Okay?" Celeste nodded after a moment. "Good. Now get dressed or we'll be late." I followed Draco out of the room and downstairs.

"Dean, Lucas! Just because you're taller than her does not mean you can pick on Rose! Give her the book back." I scolded. I went in to the kitchen to get some tea and take stock of my life, something I had been doing a lot lately. Rose was fourteen now. She would be starting her fourth year. Her hair had darkened to a dirty blonde and fell in curls to her shoulders. She had Draco's eyes and temper with my personality, meaning she loves books.

Dean and Lucas were almost the spitting image of Draco with straight, platinum blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and a pale complexion. Their features were a little more rounded than Draco's but other than that, they were all him in looks and personality. They were thirteen now, almost 14, going into their third year.

Celeste was a mix of Draco and I with straight, dark brown hair and icy blue eyes. Her personality was all my though. She was friendly, smart, bossy and a little insecure sometimes. Yesterday was her birthday, she turned ten.

Our youngest was a two year old boy named Tommy. He was the only of our kids to have brown hair and brown eyes. His personality was mostly Draco. He was spoiled and stubborn but he also loved to read.

My thoughts were cut short when I heard a scream come from upstairs. I sighed and headed up there. Draco beat me to it though. He was standing at the top of the stairs reprimanding the twins. I looked around him and saw Rose crying in the bathroom… with bright green hair. I stepped around Draco and went to comfort Rose.

"It's GREEN, Mum! _GREEN!_" She cried. "How can I go to school like this?"

"Rosie, calm down. Let me see it." I pulled her hands away from her head and inspected the dye job. "It's just one of uncle George's joke dyes." I tapped my wand on her head a few times and the green started fading. Rose threw her arms around me.

"Thank you!"

"You're very welcome. Now go get your things for Hogwarts or we really will be late." I told her standing up. I hurried to my bedroom to change.

"Hello, love." Draco said as I pushed the door open. I groaned and flopped down on the bed. "What's the matter?" Draco laid down next to me and started playing with a strand of my hair.

"Our children are monsters." He laughed and nuzzled my neck.

"They're children. What do you expect?"

"Not green hair." I replied, looking at him pointedly. He chuckled.

"Love, they're siblings. They're going to torment each other."

"I suppose your right." I said, sitting up. I got up and went to the closet to dress for the day.

"Alright, Rose, you first. Then Dean and Lucas. Then Celeste. Wait for us on the other side!" I yelled as Rose took off through the wall. We all crossed over onto the platform and went to find Harry and Ginny, Ron and Luna, Blaise and their kids. Harry and Ginny had six children; Sirius, James, and Remus, Molly, Lily and Daniel. Sirius, James, Remus and Molly were all in Gryffindor and Lily was starting this year. Daniel would start in eight years with Tommy. Ron and Luna had three children; Fred, Alice and Benjamin. Fred was starting this year with Celeste, Lily and Nathaniel, Neville and Hannah's son. Alice would be starting next year and Benjamin would be starting the year after that. Blaise had met a French girl and immediately knocked her up. They had a son named Aldo that was born around the same time as Celeste. Blaise had custody of him. We met up with everyone and caught up for a few minutes then said our goodbyes to all the kids.

"Rose, be good. Be nice to Sirius this year, I don't want to have to make another trip to Hogwarts with Uncle Harry." I started. "Dean and Lucas, be nice to your sisters, please. No more pranks in the classrooms either." I turned to Celeste and then went back to the boys. "And leave the girls bathrooms alone. No more stealing toilet seats." Ron snickered and I glared at him. "And don't bug moaning murtle. Celeste, honey. You're going to love Hogwarts. I promise." We gave the children hugs and goodbyes and they went to get on the train.

_Author's note: I apologize for the short chapters but I'd rather post shorter chapters than post the last three together and confuse people haha_

_There will be one final chapter that is set five years after this chapter._

_Thanks to everyone who stuck in there with me!_

_AliceLupin_


	16. Super Epilogue All Grown Up

_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. _

_This is the final chapter! I was debating on whether or not to post this but I decided that I wanted to!_

_So here is it! Keep in mind, the first part of this chapter takes place 5 years after the previous chapter._

**Chapter 16 – Super Epilogue – All Grown Up**

Rose Marie Malfoy sat on her mother's couch exactly a year after her graduation from Hogwarts, looking through pictures from said graduation. She reminisced over her years at Hogwarts while she did this. From her first through fifth years, her and Sirius Potter were at each others throats 24/7. A dance during their sixth year changed that.

It was a masquerade ball and she had ended up dancing with a very attractive and funny Prince. She was dressed as a Greek Goddess with a white flowing dress with gold accents. They danced through the night and when Headmistress McGonagall instructed everyone to take their masks off, she found her dance partner to be none other than Sirius Leon Potter. She had immediately walked away.

Sirius stood there, dumbstruck, until he finally chased after her. He told her that he had had feelings for her for quite some time now. She denied him for weeks. One day, after classes were finished for the day, Rose headed down to the lake to sit by her favorite tree and read. Sirius came up a few moments later and sat down. He didn't talk, he didn't try to touch her, he just sat with her while she read. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He looked… peaceful. He always seemed so stressed out.

And that is when she realized that she was in love with Sirius. Rose smiled and rubbed her rounded stomach as she pulled out a picture of her and Sirius on their graduation day. He had his arms around her and was kissing her cheek repeatedly. It was really quite cute. She struggled to get up off the couch to ask her mum if she had a frame that would fit the picture.

As she was getting up, Rose clutched her stomach in pain and fell back onto the couch.

"Mum!" She yelled. Hermione Malfoy came running into the room, followed closely by her husband, Draco Malfoy.

"What-Oh! Draco get a hold of Harry, Ginny and Sirius. And your parents." Hermione said. She went over to her daughter and helped her into the fireplace to floo to St. Mungo's.

"Mum! The bag!" Rose reminded her. Draco tossed the overnight bag to Hermione and they flooed away to St. Mungo's.

Draco paced up and down the hall with Harry Potter. It had been hours since Rose was admitted. Hermione and Sirius had been allowed in the room. But the nervous Grandfathers were left out in the hall.

Finally, the door opened and Harry and Draco immediately halted and looked up.

"Is she okay?" Draco asked, as his wife stepped out of the room. Hermione smiled brilliantly.

"Rose is fine. Sirius is nervous. And their daughter is perfectly healthy. Rose is sleeping and Sirius will bring Emmaline out in a few minutes." Hermione explained. She walked over to Draco and wrapped her arms around his waist. "We're grandparents, Draco."

"I know." He replied, laughing.

"How does it feel?" Lucius asked, walking down the hall towards them. Narcissa walked beside him, followed by Dean, Lucas, Celeste and Tommy.

"It makes me feel old!" Draco laughed.

"Can we see the baby, mum? What did they name her? Is Rosie okay?" Celeste asked.

"Sirius is bringing the baby out in a few moments. They named her Emmaline. And everyone is doing fine other than being frazzled and tired." Hermione told her. Everyone turned towards the door as it was being pushed open. Sirius stepped out holding a pink bundle. At this age, Sirius looked just like his name sake, Harry's godfather.

"Who wants to hold her?" Sirius asked, laughing. Hermione darted forward and carefully lifted the baby from Sirius's arms. Hermione cooed over the baby and Draco came up behind her to watch over her shoulder. Little Emmaline looked exactly like her mother. She had curly, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.

"No hogging our grandchild. It's my turn." Ginny said, taking the baby. Sirius stepped out of Rose's room.

"Hey dad?" Draco and Harry both looked over. "Sorry. Draco. Rose is awake. She wants you." Draco nodded and strode into the room and over to his oldest daughter.

"Hello, love." Draco said, kissing her forehead.

"Hey dad." Rose said, smiling. "How is Emmaline?"

"Oh baby." Draco sighed. "She's perfect." Rose nodded and then looked away. "What's wrong princess?" Rose laughed softly.

"I'm not a princess anymore, daddy."

"You are to me." He replied.

"I'm scared." Rose finally admitted.

"What? Why?" Draco asked, confused.

"What if I'm not a good mother? Or a good wife? What if Sirius gets tired of me and Emmaline grows up hating me?"

"Why would you think that?" Draco asked.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this, daddy." Rose said, a tear slipping down her cheek. Draco sat on the edge of his daughters bed and pulled up into a hug. Rose sobbed into his chest.

"Now you listen to me Rosie." Draco said, kissing the top of her head. "You learned how to be a mother from Hermione. Was she a good mother to you?" Rose nodded. "Then you will be too. Emmaline could never really hate you. You're her mother. Same with being a good wife. Your mother wasn't ready when you were born either. But she did a pretty good job with you. And then again with Dean and Lucas. As for Sirius, well, he seems to care about you a great deal. And if he ever hurts you, I'll take care of him." Rose laughed and pulled away.

"Thank you, dad."

_5 Years Later_

"You may now kiss the bride." Minister Kingsley announced. Aldo pulled on Celeste's hand, pulling her closer to him and pressed his lips to hers. Draco clapped Blaise on the back.

"Guess we're really family now, huh?" Draco said. Blaise laughed.

"I guess so." The friends walked in to Malfoy Manor to get to the dinning room for the reception. Draco rounded a corner and nearly ran into his daughter in law and new granddaughter.

"My apologies Alice." He said immediately. "Is everything alright?" Ron and Luna's daughter looked up at him with wet eyes.

"Bella won't stop crying!" She exclaimed, holding up her month old daughter.

"Where is Lucas?" Draco asked, referring to his son, her husband.

"I don't know! I came in to try to find him!" Draco took his granddaughter from her arms gently and rocked Bella back and forth. Issabella immediately quieted down. Tommy walked passed them and Draco grabbed the back of his robes.

"Tommy, go find your brother." He said.

"Which one?" Tommy asked.

"Lucas." Tommy nodded and headed upstairs.

"Draco!" He nearly toppled over as his wife ran into him.

"Yes, love?" He said patiently.

"Our children are growing up!" She sobbed. Draco chuckled. He placed his finger under her chin.

"Love, you do this everytime one of our children get married. You did it with Rose and Sirius, Lucas and Alice, Dean and Danielle. Now Celeste and Aldo. You need to get used to this. Our children are growing up." Hermione buried her head in her husbands chest and shook her head vigorously.

"They were supposed to stay little forever…" She mumbled into his chest.

"But now we have grand children." Draco pointed out. Hermione slowly lifted her head.

"I suppose you're right. I do love grandchildren."

_8 years later_

"MUM? DAD?" Tommy yelled, slamming the front door of the manor open.

"What is it, Tommy?" Hermione asked, poking her head out of the sitting room.

"Mia is pregnant!" He said grinning ear to ear. Hermione squealed like a five year old at Christmas.

"That's great news! Tibby?" She called. A house elf appeared in front of her and bowed. "Could you tell Draco to come down to the sitting room please." The little elf nodded and Apperated away. "Oh, your father will be thrilled." She told her son.

"Tommy! What a pleasant surprise." Draco gave his son a hug. "What brings you here?"

"Mia is pregnant." Tommy told him.

"Already? How long have you two been married?"

"Over a year, dad. Besides, mum had Rosie, Dean and Lucas before you were married. And Rose had Emmaline before she married Sirius." Draco laughed.

"I know, son. Congratulations."

_5 Years Later_

"Happy Christmas, Mum!"Celeste yelled, coming into the Manor.

"Happy Christmas, sweetie." Hermione said, walking out of the ball room.

"Grandma!" Elizabeth yelled, running towards her.

"Hello, Lizzy. Happy Christmas." Hermione laughed. "Come on in. Everyone is in the ball room. We're just waiting for Tommy, Mia and the kids. Where's Aldo?"

"He's meeting his father in Diagon Alley for a drink and then they will both be here." Celeste said, leading her daughter into the ball room. It was decorated in green, red, silver and gold. The scene before her made her burst into laughter. Draco sat on the floor next to the tree. Jazlynn, Rose and Sirius' youngest daughter of three, sat in his lap, facing him, with her arms around his neck. She was yelling at Nicole, Deans youngest daughter of three with his wife Mary, who was standing behind him with her arms also around his neck.

"He's _my_ papa!" Jazlynn yelled.

"NO! Mine!" Nicole yelled back.

"He love's me more!"

"Nu uh! Me!"

"Girls!" Hermione yelled. "Get off your grandpa!"

"Let the children have their fun, Mia." Narcissa said, gliding into the room. Lucius walked behind her, leaning on his cane. It made Hermione sad to see her father in law so old and frail. Though they were the same age, Narcissa seemed much more youthful than her husband. Draco shook his grand-daughters off and stood up.

"Hello, love." He said, kissing Celeste on the cheek.

"Hey, dad."

"How's the baby?" Draco asked, patting her slightly rounded stomach.

"Good." Celeste replied. "Three months along. Aldo and Blaise will be here-"

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!" Tommy yelled, striding into the room. Everyone chorused back to him. His wife Mia came in after him holding their five month old son, Patrick, and their daughters Emily and Miranda followed behind her. They were five and three, respectfully. Moments later, the fireplace burst into flames and Blaise slid out, followed by his son Aldo.

"Great! Now that everyone is here, we can get started with dinner." Hermione said. They all sat down at the table that was set up in the corner. Draco sat at the head of one table, while Lucius sat at the head of the other. Hermione and Narcissa each sat to the left of their husbands. Hermione and Draco's children, along with their partners, children, and their partners parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, all choose a seat as food began appearing on the table.

"So, Harry. How are the Aurors doing?" Draco asked, looking pointedly at Dean and Lucas, who were telling jokes to anyone who would listen. Harry chuckled.

"They're doing quite well actually. Everyone greatly appreciates their healing powers." Harry replied.

"Yeah, dad!" Dean and Lucas chorused. "Everyone loves us!"Their wives, Mary and Alice, smacked them on the backs of their heads in perfect sync and their children burst into laughter. Everyone broke into conversations of their own and Draco leaned over to Hermione to whisper in her ear.

"So, Mrs. Malfoy. Is this the life you wanted?" He asked, smirking.

"No." Hermione said, hiding a smile. Draco frowned. "It's so much better than the life I wanted." Hermione smiled softly and kissed his cheek. He smiled and stood up, clinking his spoon against his glass. Everyone quieted down and turned to face him.

"I'd like to make a toast." He announced. "If someone had told me 47 years ago that on my 66th Christmas I would be sitting at Malfoy Manor eating dinner with the Golden Trio, five children, and ten grandchildren, all of whom I shared with Hermione Granger, I probably would have sent them to my father to have them put out of their misery." Everyone chuckled and glanced at Lucius, who wore a rare smile. "This isn't the life that Hermione or I pictured, separately or together. It's much better. We have five amazing children, all of whom are happily married and have given us a total of ten grandchildren, with more on the way." He nodded to Celeste, Rose and Alice. "One thing I have learned in my 66 years is to never take a choice for granted. Everything happens for a reason and every choice that you make can change your life. Even a choice as simple as deciding what shirt to wear that day. As a wise man once said "The consequences of our actions are so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed." He was right. Because I'm certain that, as I stand here now, every choice I have ever made has made me who I am now. I am a son, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. A lifetime of choices brought me here, to this very moment, and I couldn't be happier." Draco sat down and griped his wife's hand. He meant every word he said. As he looked around at his family, he smiled. Here was real happiness, real love.

He watched his wife talk animatedly with their oldest daughter and Harry. She glanced over and smiled at him. Merlin, how he loved her. Even after 46 years of marriage he loved with every beat of his heart, and the sex was never boring.

And to think, he owed all of his happiness to her. The bushy-haired, Gryffindor bookworm that he used to torment in Hogwarts.

As he stared off into space, he thought about how funny life was. He remembered a quote from a muggle telly show that Hermione had insisted he watch called Doctor Who. He now completely agreed with the quote. It went something like: "The universe is vast and complicated. And sometimes, impossible things just happen – and we call them miracles." And my life? It was just that. A miracle founded by… A Lifetime Of Choices.

_Author's Note: OMG! OMG! OMG! It's done! Finally! I apologize for taking this long to finish it. A HUGE thank you to everyone that stuck with me on this story! I hope you liked it!_

_My next story has the first two and a half chapters written. It's called "Convinced". Look for the first chapter within the next few days!_

_AliceLupin_


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